LG Electronics has once again set out to recruit a select few elite specialists this year. Rather than a simple personnel reward, this approach is closer to establishing a separate career path to ensure the long-term sustainability of capabilities accumulated in technology and the field.

LG Electronics recently announced the selection of 22 research and specialist committee members for 2026. The list includes 15 research committee members and 7 specialist committee members. The company plans to use this move to allow key personnel in each field to focus on their specialized duties rather than management tasks.

The Research and Expert Committee system has been in operation since 2009. Research and development personnel are selected as Research Committee members, while other specialized professional groups are selected as Expert Committee members. The scope is not limited to R&D. It includes personnel who have accumulated expertise and achievements across the entire business, such as production, quality, design, patents, and product planning.

A notable aspect of this year's selections is that the appointments were concentrated in fields closely related to preparing for the future. The research fellows include personnel who led research on next-generation AI data center cooling technology, optical technology-based automotive displays, and AI active control utilizing digital twins. The expert fellows were also selected from areas directly linked to product competitiveness and business operations, such as patents, product planning, design, and quality.

Selection is carried out through a process of recommendation, review, and committee evaluation. The company selects only the top 1% of personnel for each job function as research and specialist committee members. Including this recent appointment, there are currently a total of 222 research and specialist committee members active at LG Electronics.

This selection is significant in that it demonstrates LG Electronics' approach to retaining expertise within the organization. As technological change accelerates, companies increasingly require groups of in-depth experts rather than a broad pool of personnel. The fact that this year's appointments are concentrated in areas closely linked to AI, automotive electronics, cooling, and quality competitiveness also reveals where LG Electronics intends to build its capabilities.