LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo. (Photos: LS Group)

LS Group has been transforming itself. The group is introducing digital innovation technologies in all areas, such as production and management.

The way employees work is also changing, like the introduction of working from home.

Given the fact that major subsidiaries of the group specialize in conventional manufacturing industries such as cable and cooper refinery, LS Group’s tremendous changes are unprecedented.

LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo stands at the center of the group’s transformation.

Earlier this year, Chairman Koo declared a scheme to secure a “super digital operation regime.” Of late, under the stewardship of Chairman Koo, the group is endeavoring to realign its focus on smart energy, digital and eco-friendliness.

LS Group is establishing a mid and long-term plan to transfer its major systems, such as enterprise resources planning (ERP) to cloud.

To this end, the group plans to invest tens of billions of won over the next five years to establish a digital operation system that can be compatible at the identical IT environment at any place around the world.

The group has designated digital transformation as its future strategy to brace for the arrival of the 4th Industrial Revolution. It is trying to employ AI, big data and smart energy technologies in the conventional manufacturing businesses.

These changes have been initiated by Chairman Koo, who has closely watched global rival companies’ movements.

Chairman Koo has repeatedly stressed that global leaders, eyeing digital transformation as the key to sustainable growth, breaking the current low growth trend, have been already making massive investments.

He said his group will have to work out response steps after analyzing ABB, Siemens and other competitors’ strategies and concentrate on securing digital capabilities.

Major subsidiaries of the group are aggressively transforming themselves at the behest of Koo.

LS Mtron Chairman Koo Ja-eun, head of the Future Innovation Team, inaugurated in LS Corp., the holding company of LS Group, leads the group’s major strategy: digital transformation.

If the business group plans a change in its business portfolio, the team is in charge of creating synergetic effects among subsidiaries and the nurturing of manpower corresponding to changes.

LS Cable & System is the first Korean cable maker to be implementing an inventory management system using IoT.

The system is designed to check the location and inventory of products and equipment in real-time in order to reduce shipment time and efforts and prevent theft of products in the course of transportation.

In particular, LS C&S plans to establish itself as a global cable solution provider by participating in projects to expand wind power plants and lay power grid underground.

These projects are part of the government’s “Korean Green New Deal.”

LS-Nikko Copper is changing the Onsan smelting plant into a smart factory. It is designed to enhance production efficiency and ensure safety and eco-friendliness.

LS ELECTRIC has transformed the Cheongju operation into a smart factory. The transformation has paid off: daily production number of 38 items soared from about 7,500 to 20,000.

LS ELECTRIC and Microsoft Korea signed an MOU on smart factory using AI and cloud and cooperation in R&D related to digital transformation. Under the agreement, they agreed to collaborate in R&D related to smart factory upgrade technology.

Magnetic contactors are loaded by an automated guide vehicle from LS ELECTRIC plant in Cheongju.