[E-Daily Reporter Choi Oh-hyun ] Forty-four companies, including SamsungElectronics(005930), which have been promoting mutual growth and cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), received the highest rating in the Shared Growth Index evaluation conducted by the Shared Growth Committee.

On the morning of the 11th, the Shared Growth Committee held its 90th meeting at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, and announced the results of the “2026 Shared Growth Index Evaluation.”

The Shared Growth Index is a metric used by the Shared Growth Committee to evaluate the level of mutually beneficial cooperation between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This year, based on last year’s performance, 231 companies participated in the evaluation, with 44 receiving the highest rating. The results showed 69 companies rated “Excellent,” 81 rated “Average,” 24 rated “Insufficient,” and 13 rated “Very Insufficient.”

This year, 44 companies—including SamsungElectronics(005930), SamsungElectroMechanics(009150), SKTelecom(017670), SK hynix(000660), and LGELECTRONICS(066570) —were named to the “Excellent” category. Samsung Electronics received the “Excellent” rating for the first time for 15 consecutive years, while SKTelecom achieved the top rating for 14 consecutive years and LG Innotek(011070)for 10 consecutive years. SamsungElectroMechanics and DOOSAN ENERBILITY(034020)each received the “Excellent” rating for the third consecutive year and were also included among the “Honorary Excellent Companies.” Six additional companies were added to the list of “Honorary Excellent Companies” this year, bringing the cumulative total to 20. Hanwha(000880), HANWHA SYSTEMS(272210), and HANWHA AEROSPACE(012450) all earned the highest rating for the first time this year.

The top-rated large corporations were highly evaluated for their proactive financial support for partners and workforce training initiatives. They not only provided low-interest loans to enable small and medium-sized partners to carry out technology development and facility investments in a timely manner but also contributed to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

SamsungElectronics has established a mutual growth fund totaling 1.4 trillion won since 2010, while LG Innotek has provided 304 billion won to 130 partner companies to date through its 143 billion won shared growth fund. SamsungElectroMechanics has committed to providing approximately 200 billion won over three years starting in 2025 to strengthen the partner company ecosystem.

Top-performing companies also supported partner training and the establishment of smart factories. SamsungElectronics has supported the construction of smart factories at 3,600 small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide and has expanded its support this year to include the adoption of manufacturing AI solutions. LG Innotek is also strengthening its support for AI training, smart factory construction, and measures to prevent technology leakage for its partner companies. DOOSAN ENERBILITY is providing ESG and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) training and consulting to partner companies in the nuclear power, Small Modular Reactor (SMR), and gas turbine sectors.

Companies that receive the “Excellent” or “Highly Commended” rating in the Shared Growth Index evaluation are eligible for government-level incentives, such as bonus points in the preliminary screening for public procurement bids and the issuance of immigration privilege cards. Jang In-hwa, Chair of the Shared Growth Committee, stated, “The Shared Growth Index evaluation is a very important tool for encouraging voluntary win-win cooperation among companies, and to enhance the effectiveness of future evaluations, we will seek multifaceted institutional improvements based on feedback from the field.”