SK Hynix will strive to create a favorable workplace that puts a strong focus on its employees as well as social welfare projects, the chipmaker said.

Since Hynix was acquired by SK Telecom in March this year, the company has been launching various activities to include the word “happiness” in its business operations.

Over 10,000 employees at the maker of dynamic random access memory chips and NAND Flash memory have taken part in volunteering efforts as of September. The activities range from offering meals to underprivileged children and jointly launching support programs with local universities to holding events for family entertainment. The meal offerings are supported with the firm’s matching funds.

“Since the takeoff of SK Hynix, we’re aggressively sharing SK’s happiness-embedded culture with all those involved, gearing up our social contribution acts as well as shared growth measures with our partners,” said James Kim, vice president of public relations at SK Hynix.

The company is also involved in shared growth efforts with its partners with it organizing a workshop in July this year with the chiefs of 80 different partnering firms to provide a better understanding of the new SK culture.

While forming a low carbon business strategy with its partners, it has also created a mutual growth fund that amounts to 69.2 billion won ($64 million) and strengthened educational programs at institutes called the mutual growth academies.

SK Hynix’s social contributions

To share some other ongoing activities, there is an organization within the firm called “Volunteers for good memories” that visits about 105 areas in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

The group has so far taken part in 700 volunteering acts since it launched in 2007.

“We’re also actively encouraging our workers to pay greater attention to such events by providing support funds for volunteering and enabling them to go volunteer during their work hours,” said Kim.

The Chinese headquarters of SK Hynix, which completed construction in 2006, has joined the social contribution effort, having its employees get together for environment protection events and help the needy in various areas in China at least once every month, according to SK Hynix officials.

More than 2,500 of its workers have participated in the events.

University cooperation

SK Hynix has formed ties with local well-known universities like Seoul National University, KAIST and POSTECH, proceeding with joint research projects and distributing education grants to work together on technology exchange and talent nurturing.

As an exemplary case, it signed a contract with POSTECH in September to include a wider pool of students in their joint studies ― including students majoring in materials science, physics, chemical engineering, computer engineering and creative IT convergence engineering, said SK Hynix officials.

The company had only conducted the research with students majoring in electronics and electrical engineering in the past.

SK Hynix officials said the two parties also agreed to jointly launch projects in the field of semiconductors for the next five years and inject 3.5 billion won in nurturing talent in the area.

Apart from the ongoing project with POSTECH, it has been fostering chip experts through a project dubbed “SK Hynix Track” in state national universities in regional areas such as Kyungpook National University, Chonnam National University and Chungbuk National University.

SK’s happiness project

SK Hynix had gone forward with some social contribution activities even before the acquisition, however, it has been more active since it was taken over by SKT.

SK Group, the parent company of SKT, has been enthusiastically promoting community contribution, stating that the conglomerate has implemented a systematic program for the field.

While it says the program includes group-focused and affiliate-focused activities which go in line with the whole program, SK Group encourages each of its affiliates to carry out its own unique contribution plan partly to boost SK’s brand image.

SK’s partnership program in general includes job creation for the financially challenged, establishing what is called “SK happiness village” and participating in volunteering activities.

The contribution fields for each affiliate also includes tasks on unified community support along with culture and art promotion and support, as well as environmental conservation and protection. Education support and talent development, volunteering for financially challenged and community volunteering events are also part of SK’s scheme.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)