LG Electronics said Wednesday it will invest 50 billion won ($35.87 million) to establish a new research and development center for heating, ventilation and air conditioning in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, amid the tech giant's broader HVAC push.
The company signed an agreement with Changwon National University to build the LG Electronics HVAC Research Center. The signing ceremony was attended by LG Vice President Lee Jae-sung, head of the company's eco solutions division that oversees the HVAC segment; Park Wan-su, governor of South Gyeongsang Province and Park Min-won, president of Changwon National University.
The advanced facility, which will span 13,200 square meters inside the university, is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2027. It will focus on developing air conditioners, heat pumps, chillers and cooling solutions for data centers.
The new center will be Korea’s first research and development facility capable of conducting both extreme high and low temperature tests simultaneously, which LG says will allow it to secure reliable technologies and test performance under diverse environments.
“Through strengthening our technology leadership and a locally integrated value chain that covers production, sales and maintenance, we aim to become a global top-tier HVAC company,” LG said in a statement.
In particular, LG Electronics has been focusing on thermal management systems in AI data centers, including large-scale chillers and liquid cooling distribution units, as a new growth driver for its HVAC business.
The company is also advancing core HVAC technologies, including compressors, motors, pumps, heat exchangers and inverters, while developing technologies to meet stricter environmental regulations.
“Through the establishment of the LG Electronics HVAC Research Center, we will expand the ecosystem of private-sector and academic cooperation,” said Lee in a statement, adding the company will continue to develop eco-friendly technologies.
The company also plans to relocate its HVAC Academy, currently based at Changwon Smart Park, to the new site to expand training infrastructure for domestic and global engineers.
On the same day, LG signed an additional agreement with the South Gyeongsang provincial government and Changwon National University to foster local tech talent. The company said the new center will serve as a hub for industry-academia collaboration and for tech research and education infrastructure in various fields.
sahn@heraldcorp.com
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