Samsung Group announced Tuesday that it is set to invest a total of $US20 billion in healthcare and green energy sectors by 2020, which would create thousands of new jobs as company chairman Lee Kun-Hee hinted that governments around the world are channelling billions to sustainable energy over concerns on the planets dwindling resources.

Mr Lee said in a statement that the company must learn to innovate in time of crisis, as he reminded that "many global companies are crumbling and we don't know what will happen to Samsung either. Within 10 years, all Samsung products may disappear and we have to start anew."

At present, Samsung Electronics, the group's flagship company, is the world's top maker of memory chips and flat screen televisions and holds the second spot in the mobile phone manufacturing industry.

Samsung is set to invest on solar cells, rechargeable cells for hybrid electric vehicles, light emitting diode (LED) technologies, biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, which the company has identified as its new growth areas.

Mr Lee said that world governments are training their sights on green industries to address the issues of dwindling energy resources and environmental protection, as he stressed that "if other global companies hesitate, we must move ahead decisively to take this opportunity, and this will also benefit the country's economy."

Samsung spokesman Rhee In-Yong said that the new plan indicated "a shift in future business concepts to the environment, energy and health," apart from projections that about 45,000 jobs will be created and would generate 50 trillion won in annual revenue by 2020.

Moody economist Alastair Chan told AFP that Seoul is simply living up to its promise of driving up growth through green tech manufacturing and since Samsung is major player in the electronics industry "it was highly likely that some sort of research and development initiative in terms of energy-efficient products would be enacted at some stage."

At present, Samsung Electronics is employing about 188,000 scattered in 185 offices all over the world as it reported last month that the division's first quarter net profit multiplied by six times to 3.99 trillion won in the aftermath of growing demands and stable memory chip prices.

Samsung Group has outlined the new planned investments as the following: 6 trillion won to develop and manufacture solar cells; 5.4 trillion won in rechargeable cells for hybrid electric vehicles; 8.6 trillion won in LED technology for uses including backlit displays, lighting and car electronics; 2.1 trillion in biopharmaceuticals; and 1.2 trillion to develop and make electronic healthcare equipment.