Samsung’s central message for Paris 2024 is “Open always wins,” which articulates the belief that with an open mind, every new experience becomes a meaningful achievement — a sentiment embodied by the athletes competing at the Paralympic Games. Samsung will celebrate the open-mindedness and resilience demonstrated by Paralympians, harnessing its latest mobile technology to open up new experiences and possibilities for athletes, fans, and the rest of the world, during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“Samsung has been a Paralympic Games partner for almost two decades, and as committed supporters of the Paralympic Movement, we’re proud to help deliver the best possible Games-time experience for athletes, fans, spectators and volunteers at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with our latest mobile technology,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “It is an honor to bring fans across the world closer to their favorite Paralympians, their stories and uncompromising spirit, as they forge new paths and inspire greatness.”

Continued Support of the Paralympic Movement

Samsung’s support of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games follows an 18-year partnership which began at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. During this time, Samsung has used its mobile technology to engage and inspire fans and supporters while raising awareness of the Paralympic Movement. The “Dialogue in the Dark” demonstration at Sochi 2014 saw visitors at the Galaxy Studio Olympic Park experience a day in the life of a visually impaired person to help visitors understand the challenges they can experience from their perspective. Similarly, at PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, visitors at the Samsung experience space were able to try the Relúmĭno feature in conjunction with Samsung Gear VR, which helped those with low vision see the world more clearly. Samsung will continue to promote sporting excellence and shared values embodied by Paralympic athletes through its ongoing support of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Championing Team Samsung Galaxy Trailblazers

For the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Samsung has been supporting its roster of Team Samsung Galaxy athletes. The team of trailblazers, who were selected due to their impact on and off the field of play, includes French blind footballer and Olympic Torchbearer Yvan Wouandji and Paralympians Johannes Floors (para athletics, Germany), Madison De Rozario (para athletics, Australia), Ugo Didier (para swimming, France), Hee-jin Kim (goalball, Korea), Kadeena Cox (para cycling and para athletics, Great Britain) and Desirée Vila (para athletics, Spain). The athletes shared their sentiments regarding Samsung’s support:

• Ugo Didier: “The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are particularly special, taking place in my home country. Beyond the competition, I want to show that with enough dedication, everyone can compete in sporting events and achieve world-class performances regardless of disability, so I’m grateful to be working alongside Samsung to share this message.”

• Madison De Rozario: “Technology is playing a significant role in our entire movement of sport. To make a tangible impact on fans and people, you need to be able to connect with them to truly learn who they are and for them to know who you are. It’s an honor to be supported by Samsung as I go into my fifth Paralympic Games to bring people around the world closer to the Paralympic Movement.”

• Johannes Floors: “To be a successful Paralympian, determination is vital, but it also requires honest self-reflection, the ability to take criticism, meticulous engineering and open-mindedness to try the new and innovative approaches that ultimately set you up for success. I’m delighted to be working with Samsung, who share these values and reflect them in their own innovation.”

Additionally, Samsung released its film Voices of Galaxy, which spotlights Johannes Floors’ story — his motivation, determination, and passion to make an impact on next generation — in May.

Harnessing the Latest Technology for an Unforgettable Games-Time Experience 

To enhance the athlete experience, Samsung is providing nearly 5,000 Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition smartphones to Paralympians competing in the Games. The exclusive edition features a suite of built-in services and apps to help athletes to enjoy Paris and navigate every aspect of their Games-time experience with ease. The Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition supports the latest Galaxy AI features — as well as accessibility features — ensuring all Paralympians have the best experience possible.

Interpreter[1], which instantly translates live conversations, will allow all Paralympians to connect with fellow athletes from around the world. Bixby Vision for Accessibility, which gives audio descriptions of images and user surroundings, and Relúmĭno outline, which enhances the screen’s contrast and brightness or sharpens image outlines to increase visibility, allowing athletes with low vision to seamlessly navigate competition venues and stay connected with fans following their Paris 2024 journey.

Opening Up Fan Experiences To Put the Paralympic Spirit in Motion

The start of the Paralympic Games also marks the next wave of the popular Samsung Olympic Games Pin Collection, taking place at the fully accessible Olympic rendezvous @ Samsung pop-up experiences at Champs-Elysees 125 and Square Marigny in Paris. Fans of the Paralympic Games can participate in Galaxy AI experiences to complete their collection of 16 specially-designed pins, including four that represent Paralympic sports — blind football, para athletics, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis — to receive a new Galaxy Z Flip6 and a chance to win a round-trip package for two to attend Milano Cortina 2026. Fans will also have the opportunity to participate in an interactive journey through Samsung’s rich heritage around the Olympic and Paralympic Games and try out the latest Galaxy technology for themselves at the sites. In addition, Samsung plans to conduct a series of events and appearances at its Olympic^TM Rendezvous @ Samsung pop-up experience sites throughout the Games to bring fans face-to-face with their favorite Paralympic athletes.

Fans and visitors can celebrate the Games and get closer to Samsung’s latest technology at the Olympic^TM rendezvous @ Samsung sites, open throughout the duration of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games:

• The Olympic^TM rendezvous @ Samsung | Square Marigny will be re-opened on August 29 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. until September 8.
• The Olympic^TM rendezvous @ Samsung | Champs-Élysées 125 is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays until October 31.

▲ Wheelchair Basketball players from Team France share a group selfie after picking up their Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ (From left) Boccia players from Team Korea Sunhee Kang and So Yeong Jeong, Wheelchair Rugby player from Team Denmark Kurt Busk, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, and Wheelchair Basketball player from Team France Jordan Luce pose together at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ Archers from Team France share a group selfie after picking up their Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ Wheelchair Basketball players from Team Germany Svenja Mayer (left) and Mareike Miller (right) pose together with their new Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ Paralympic athletes from Team Korea pose together for a group picture after picking up their Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ Sitting Volleyball players from Team Slovenia pose together for a group picture after picking up their Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ Wheelchair Tennis player from Team South Africa Alwande Sikhosana receives his Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

▲ (From left) Sitting Volleyball players from Team Brazil Anderson Rodrigues dos Santos and Daniel Yoshizawa pose with Javelin Thrower from Team Cabo Verde Marilson Fernandes Semedo at the Samsung experience pop-up space at the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Paralympic Games

Samsung is a Worldwide Partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the wireless communications and computing equipment category. Starting from the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, the company has proudly supported the Paralympic Movement and enabled athletes and fans around the world to share the excitement and inspiration of the Games through Samsung’s transformative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment to the Paralympic Games will extend through to LA 2028 and be celebrated through innovative mobile and computing experiences powered by purposeful innovations in the wireless communications and computing equipment category, including equipment that features artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality and 5G.

[1] Interpreter requires Samsung Account login. Certain languages may require language pack download. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Availability and supported features may vary by country, region or carrier. Availability of supported languages may vary.

Samsung optimizes costs and promotes synergy to ensure economic sustainability, mandates adherence to international regulations and transparency for social sustainability, and insists on only working with certified Eco-Partners the world over. The company works relentlessly to help its suppliers achieve growth according to the belief that Samsung’s success is rooted in the competitiveness of its suppliers at every level.

Selection of Suppliers

Samsung evaluates prospective suppliers based on criteria that include EHS (environment, health and safety), labor and human rights, and Eco-Partner standing. After a company passes the initial screening, in-house experts in each category are deployed to conduct on-site assessments of the prospective supplier. Companies are required to comply with regulations regarding the handling of chemicals of concern, bans on discrimination and inhumane treatment and social and environmental impact, among others.

An open-sourcing program is used to allow companies to apply to become Samsung suppliers. The International Procurement Center (IPC) and Global Supplier Relationship Management System (G-SRM) accept submissions from organizations that want to propose use of their components or materials for Samsung products. Samsung’s IPCs are additionally present in strategically significant locations all over the world to monitor regional technology trends and identify potential suppliers. These methods allow Samsung to ensure that its supply chain remains competitive, as well as sustainable.

Once new suppliers are brought on-board, Samsung looks to heighten transparency by disclosing its list of suppliers with their consent. From there, procurement operations are managed by an integrated procurement system. The company requires suppliers to adhere to the Samsung Supplier Code of Conduct, which ensures that they operate in accordance with local laws and regulations, while helping them maintain responsible management of their working environments.

Supplier Evaluation

Samsung performs in-depth supplier evaluations annually. During these evaluations, suppliers’ competitiveness and ability to maintain sustainability are measured using eight evaluation criteria: technology, quality, responsiveness, delivery, cost, EHS, finance, and law. Several methods are employed in the evaluation of suppliers, including on-site inspection and the review of previously uploaded data. Evaluations are carried out on an ongoing basis throughout the year, allowing suppliers to monitor their performance along the way. In 2018 Samsung evaluated 91% of its total suppliers, with those who had been registered with the company for less than a year excluded from evaluation. The company also requires all primary suppliers to complete annual self-assessments according to 85 criteria set out by the RBA (Responsible Business Alliance), of which Samsung is a member.

Comprehensive Evaluation Items

Samsung also conducts both on-site and third-party audits of its suppliers. On-site audits are led by RBA auditors, and conducted by dedicated teams who interview suppliers’ employees and examine their workplaces. After the audit is carried out, Samsung devises final improvement tasks, which are expected to be completed within 30 days. Applying the same criteria as the RBA, Samsung achieved a compliance rate of 91% for on-site audits in 2018, and the company is making further efforts to continue lifting that number. Also in 2018, Samsung drastically increased the number of third-party supplier audits, especially in the Southeast Asian region, where some concerns around working environments had been raised. Despite the significant increase in the number of third party audits in 2018, compliance rates were relatively consistent with those from 2017, implying that efforts to improve suppliers’ working environments had been successful.

Samsung charges first-tier suppliers with the evaluation of their relevant sub-suppliers, making them responsible for evaluating working conditions and ensuring compliance. Samsung has developed and distributed a safe management guidance to first-tier suppliers that assists them in evaluating the environmental and health and safety performance of lower-tier suppliers. First-tier suppliers are held accountable for ensuring a safe working environment at lower-tier suppliers and honestly reflecting the outcome of evaluations.

Strengthening Competitiveness^*

Samsung prioritizes improving the market competitiveness of its suppliers at all levels to create a healthy, sustainable corporate ecosystem.

Samsung seeks to strengthen the training and hiring capabilities of its first, second and third-tier suppliers by providing programs in leadership, global, R&D, procurement, sales, and business innovation. Furthermore, the company holds annual job fairs to help ensure that suppliers are able to secure top talent.

Samsung also runs funding programs to support suppliers that are experiencing financial difficulties. These include low-interest loans, as well as support funds that provide zero-interest loans to allow companies to make cash payments to sub-suppliers within a 30-day window.

Samsung also supports the competitive enhancement of its suppliers. To ensure that its suppliers remain innovative, the company offers worksite consulting, product stabilization and EHS consultation to its first, second and third-tier suppliers, as well as enterprises that it has not previously worked with. The company also runs programs that get suppliers acquainted with the newest technology trends to ensure that they remain up to date.

Finally, Samsung offers its suppliers sales channel support. The company helps identify new avenues for potential sales, and provides things like PR work, international marketing campaigns and information sessions for enterprises that want to sell their products through online retailers.

Recent Efforts

Since 2018 Samsung has been providing training sessions for Vietnamese industry experts under its Vietnamese Industrial Consultant Training Program. Participants include consultants, public officials and professors, and the goal of the program is to help nurture local human resources in the technology sector and lift the rate of production for locally produced components. The program offers two tiers of training – local consultant and master consultant – and is aiming to train 200 local and 60 master consultants by 2020.

In 2015 Samsung launched the Smart Factory Construction program, which aimed to share technological expertise regarding the establishment of smart factories with Korean SMEs. Smart factories can improve production efficiency, reduce costs and minimize environmental impact and workplace risks. 1,086 small and medium-sized enterprises took part in the smart factory program between 2015 and 2017 and saw a 54% increase in quality and a 58% increase in productivity.  Samsung is planning to reach out to 2,500 further SMEs in Korea between 2018 and 2022, with the focus of the expanded project being on sustainable growth in the era of industry 4.0.

Recently, Samsung investigated the working environments of migrant workers at its first-tier suppliers in Malaysia. Migrant workers remain a vulnerable demographic, and Samsung demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that they are treated fairly with its 2019 Ethical Recruitment and Fair Labor Practice Training Session, held in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The training drew around 80 managers from Samsung’s Malaysian supply chain, and covered issues such as ethical recruitment, due diligence, and how to identify and combat unethical employment practices.

Samsung has developed its Responsible Sourcing of Minerals policy in order to ensure the ethical sourcing of minerals throughout its supply chain. The company takes the issues of environmental deterioration and human rights violations in conflict areas in 10 African countries seriously, and has banned the use of minerals that are mined illegally in conflict regions. In order to help address unethical mining practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo specifically, Samsung Electronics has started the Cobalt for Development program in partnership with other multinational companies. This program aims to improve the labor conditions and the living environments at specific cobalt mines in the country.

^*Samsung’s supplier support initiatives vary from market to market

For the first-time since Samsung Electronics became a Worldwide Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category, all Paralympians received a Galaxy Note8 as part of an exclusive pack that features a fast-charging battery pack as well as a special case that incorporates a Paralympic Winter Games interface once attached to the phone. 

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Paralympic Games

Samsung is a Worldwide Partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category. Starting from Paralympic Winter Games Torino 2006, Samsung has supported 6 consecutive Paralympic Games, and is proud to be an official worldwide partner of PyeongChang 2018. Samsung hosts various Paralympic Games campaigns that aim to enable athletes and fans around the world to participate in Paralympic Movement and to spread the excitement and inspiration of the Games through its wireless communication technologies. Samsung’s excitement and inspiration of the Games through its wireless communication technologies. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Partner continues through PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020.