Establishing US biz center among LG Electronics' restructuring agenda

South Korean home appliance maker LG Electronics Inc will set up a new business unit in Silicon Valley, California to explore new business opportunities and cooperate with leading tech firms there.

Rhee Sokwoo, who served as an associate director at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will head the unit named LG's North American Innovation Center.

LG will also put up a business incubation center to support various new business opportunities and a "CX Lab" that will be managed directly under the CEO to boost design capability related to user experience.

The CX Lab will focus on studying how design affects the manner consumers interact with products.

Meanwhile, LG's robot business center will be now managed under its business solutions unit.

Other restructuring commitments include establishing separate divisions for refrigerators and dryers under the H&A Living Appliance Business and giving the Air Solutions Business a separate System Air Conditioner division.

There would also be the Disruptive Technology Innovation Lab and Disruptive Product Innovation Lab, which infuses R&D principles with the product planning.

Lyu Jae-cheol, who has been leading its living appliance business, has been promoted as the new chief for its home appliance & air solution (H&A) business division.