DB HiTek to Move Fabless Operations from Bucheon to Pangyo Next Year... Strengthening DDI Business

Notice of Workplace Change for Talent Recruitment in DDI Design and Application Technology
Fabless Brand Division to Move from Bucheon to Pangyo Next Year
Strengthening Expertise in Pangyo, Home to Domestic Fabless Companies

DB HiTek Bucheon Campus Exterior

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Pyeonghwa] DB HiTek, which has formalized the possibility of splitting its foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) and fabless (semiconductor design) businesses, will relocate its fabless workplace to Pangyo while expanding its workforce to strengthen fabless competitiveness.

According to the semiconductor industry on the 22nd, DB HiTek is currently conducting headhunting-style recruitment to increase personnel in its brand division responsible for the fabless business.

DB HiTek is recruiting talent with various experience levels ranging from 3 to 12 years through recruitment platforms, including a notice about the change of workplace. Employees will work in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do until this year and will work in Pangyo and Bundang, Gyeonggi-do next year. DB HiTek has its headquarters and factory at the Bucheon campus in Gyeonggi, and a factory at the Sangwoo campus in Eumseong, Chungbuk. The brand division is currently located at the Bucheon campus.

In the semiconductor industry, there have been ongoing mentions of the possibility that DB HiTek may move its workplace to Pangyo. This recruitment concretizes the timing. Pangyo is a Korean-style fabless valley developed and nurtured by the government, where many domestic fabless companies are gathered. According to last year's data from the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, 80% of domestic fabless companies are concentrated there.

The business area where DB HiTek is increasing its workforce is display driver IC (DDI) design and application technology. DDI is a system semiconductor that controls pixels and expresses colors on displays. DB HiTek has focused on the DDI business in its brand division so far. In May, it recruited Hwang Gyu-cheol, former Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics System LSI Division, as head of its brand business division. Mr. Hwang contributed to the expansion of Samsung Electronics' DDI business.

DB HiTek plans to grow its own DDI brand and enhance fabless capabilities by responding to the premium display market such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED). It also considers the possibility of spinning off the fabless business separately from the foundry business to strengthen fabless expertise. Earlier, DB HiTek disclosed related information in July. Although the method and timing of the split were not specified, shareholders are opposing it, anticipating a physical division.