LG Electronics announced on the 3rd that it will establish the 'LG Electronics HVAC Research Center' in Changwon, Gyeongnam, as a next-generation heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) research and development (R&D) hub.
On the same day, LG Electronics held a signing ceremony for the establishment of an advanced research center to enhance R&D capabilities in the HVAC sector in partnership with Changwon National University. The ceremony was attended by Lee Jae-sung, head of LG Electronics' Electronics and Solutions division (Vice President), Park Wan-soo, the governor of Gyeongnam Province, and Park Min-won, president of Changwon National University.
LG Electronics will invest about 50 billion won to build an advanced research center with a total floor area of 13,228 square meters on the campus of Changwon National University. The research center, which is set to be completed in the first half of 2027, will study next-generation HVAC solutions, including air conditioners, heat pumps, chillers, and cooling solutions for data centers.
LG Electronics is nurturing AI data center thermal management solutions, such as large chillers and chilled water distribution units (CDU), as new growth engines for its HVAC business. In particular, the company plans to enhance the five core technologies of HVAC products, including compressors, motors, pumps, heat exchangers, and inverters, while actively developing technologies to respond to increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
The research center will feature the nation's first facility capable of conducting simultaneous extreme high and low-temperature tests, enabling research and technology acquisition for HVAC products that operate stably in various environments.
LG Electronics expects the research center to establish an infrastructure and cluster specialized in HVAC solutions, focusing on advanced and component research as well as platform development, thereby gaining differentiated competitiveness in the global HVAC market. The company plans to solidify its local complete value chain, covering leading technological leadership as well as production, sales, and maintenance, to leap to becoming a global top-tier HVAC company.
Additionally, the HVAC Academy, located within Changwon Smart Park, will also transfer to the newly expanded research center equipped with advanced technological infrastructure.
Lee Jae-sung noted, 'With the establishment of the LG Electronics HVAC Research Center, we will expand the ecosystem of private and academic cooperation,' adding, 'We will enhance HVAC technologies covering data centers, commercial, and residential applications, aiming for compression growth that is twice as fast as the market, while also developing environmentally friendly technologies.'