Samsung chief crisscrosses US, China, Germany, Italy in first half of year
Power semiconductors and automaker partnerships in focus
![Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong departs through the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to join an economic delegation to India and Vietnam in April. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/12/news-p.v1.20260421.80c64d0099e84d3ebf2bc7f1dc675697_P1.jpg)
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is joining President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Italy as part of the accompanying business delegation — his sixth overseas trip this year. Having already visited China, the United States, Germany, India, Vietnam and Taiwan, he is returning to Europe to expand Samsung's ties with global partners.
According to business and political circles, Lee is scheduled to attend a Korea-Italy business roundtable in Italy on Friday (local time). The visit comes roughly four months after he last traveled to the country in February for events tied to the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
Samsung Electronics works with Italian industry across a broad portfolio spanning smartphones, televisions and home appliances, memory chips, foundry services, automotive electronics and AI platforms.
Particular attention centers on the potential for deeper cooperation with STMicroelectronics, the Italy-based chipmaker. As demand for automotive semiconductors grows alongside the spread of autonomous driving technology, the two companies are expected to strengthen collaboration in advanced foundry services, memory chips and power semiconductors.
Opportunities in automotive electronics are also on the table. Italy is home to global automakers including Ferrari, Maserati and Stellantis. Samsung Electronics subsidiary Harman has built a strong position in in-vehicle infotainment, digital cockpits and premium audio.
Samsung Display recently announced it will exclusively supply four types of OLED panels for Ferrari's electric sports car, the Luce, broadening the scope of Samsung's collaboration with Italian companies and raising expectations for additional contract wins.
Lee's overseas schedule has grown more active this year. In January, he joined President Lee's economic delegation to China, inspecting local operations and meeting key partners. Samsung Electronics runs a NAND flash production factory in Xi'an and a semiconductor packaging factory in Suzhou.
Later that month, he attended a reception in Washington marking the first overseas exhibition of the "Lee Kun-hee Collection," where he met with American political and business figures.
In March, he visited Germany and other parts of Europe, where he discussed automotive electronics and semiconductor cooperation with Mercedes-Benz executives.
In April, he accompanied the economic delegation to India and Vietnam to inspect local production and R&D facilities. In May, he visited MediaTek in Taiwan to discuss foundry cooperation, according to sources.
Industry observers say Lee is focusing on direct management of key partnerships as global supply chain restructuring and AI competition intensify.
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