(POHANG=Newsis News) The city of Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province announced September 13 that global healthcare technology company Siemens Healthineers has agreed to invest a total of KRW 10 billion in the city by 2020 and expand its local workforce from 280 to some 430 employees.
A ceremony was held to that effect that morning at the Pohang Techno Park (TP) where the city, Pohang TP and Siemens Healthineers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on investment promotion for the creation of jobs.
Some 100 persons attended the signing, including Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-Deok, City Council Vice Chair Jeong Hae-jong, Pohang TP Director Kim Gi-hong, Siemens' Head of Global Supply Chain Management Randy Gast, Siemens' East Asia Real Estate Manager Christian Horn, and Siemens Korea's Vice President and General Manager Park SuMan.
Based on the agreement, the city and Pohang TP will provide various support such as leasing additional production space so that Siemens Healthineers can settle in the area and revitalize their business activities, while the company will expand its contribution to the local economy and community.
Siemens Healthineers has also agreed to actively hire additional employees to support the business expansion, thereby contributing to the city's efforts to create high-quality jobs.
About 48 percent of the current workforce at the company's office in Pohang is made up of women, raising expectations that the additional hires will also provide greater opportunities for women seeking jobs in the area.
The city expects the investment to result in an annual economic effect of KRW 83.4 billion, including in production and added value.
A total of 26 new hires are expected every year, along with revenue of KRW 650 million from leasing and KRW 500 million in local taxes.
Currently, the city and Pohang TP are planning to spend KRW 10 billion on building a fifth business venture building inside the Pohang TP by 2019 for ICT and software firms.
When completed, the new building will serve as home to Siemens Healthineers and other global companies, SMEs, and startups, and as a foundation for the development of the local ICT industry,
Founded in 1847, Siemens is a global company with its headquarters in the German city of Munich that has outstanding technology in various medical and healthcare IT fields including radiology and medical ultrasounds systems. In April 2008, the company established a medical ultrasound systems office in Pohang and has since been growing along with the local community.
Mayor Lee noted, "Along with ongoing projects for a fourth generation light source accelerator and new pharmaceutical drugs, growth in the biomedical fields led by Siemens Healthineers will turn Pohang into a global biomedical hub," adding, "the city will offer its utmost support so that the MoU revitalizes the local economy and strengthen the company's global competitiveness."
From left, Pohang TP Director Kim Gi-hong, Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-Deok, and Siemens' Head of Global Supply Chain Management Randy Gast at the signing on Sept. 13 (Newsis)
dr.kang@newsis.com
Copyrights Newsis News. All Rights Reserved.
Source: Newsis News (Sep. 13, 2017)