Le Journal

Renata Koch Alvarenga is a member of Generation17, a partnership between Samsung and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that empowers young people driving progress on the 17 Global Goals. Since 2020, the initiative has supported Young Leaders worldwide with Samsung Galaxy technology, mentorship and networking opportunities to amplify their stories and advance solutions across all 17 Global Goals. When devastating floods submerged her home state in Brazil, Renata Koch Alvarenga questioned whether her work was making a difference. Instead of retreating, she doubled down, launching an ambitious program to prepare women and youth for the climate crisis ahead. The 17 Global Goals refer to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. They cover interrelated areas such as quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, climate action, life on land and below water, among others. The images still haunt her. In May 2024, the state of Rio Grande do Sul faced the worst flooding in its history, submerging Renata Koch Alvarenga’s hometown of Porto Alegre under record-breaking floodwaters. Nearly 600,000 people were displaced, streets disappeared, and the airport remained closed for months. ▲ The 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, affected nearly 2.4 million people and caused widespread damage across 478 municipalities, including Porto Alegre, shown here. “My heart was definitely breaking,” she recalls. “I saw so many places that I grew up going to, such as parks and museums, destroyed.” What happened in Brazil reflects a growing global threat. Climate change is heating oceans and shifting rainfall patterns, intensifying extreme weather events like floods. By 2100, coastal flood risk is expected to increase fivefold, threatening more than 70 million people worldwide, according to UNDP. After years of climate advocacy and educational outreach, the devastation — some of it in the very communities Renata had worked to protect — left her questioning if her efforts were enough. “I like to say that I’m a climate optimist and always like to see the glass half full, but that was a key moment in which it was very hard to keep being an optimist,” she says. “It was very hard to keep going.” For Renata, the choice became clear: give in to doubt or double down on her mission. Discovering Climate Justice Renata’s path to climate activism began in college when she received the opportunity to attend COP21 — the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties — held in Paris in 2015, where world leaders negotiated the landmark Paris Agreement. “I saw multiple diplomats say, ‘I don’t really understand why we’re talking about gender. This has nothing to do with climate change,’” she says. This dismissive response sparked something within her. Renata’s studies had shown that the climate crisis impacts people differently based on gender and economic status — with women often facing the harshest consequences while being excluded from decision-making. This imbalance lies at the heart of climate justice. According to UN Women, by 2050, climate change may push up to 158 million more women and girls into extreme poverty, compared to 16 million more men and boys. Renata left COP21 determined to change things. ▲ Inspired by what she witnessed in Paris, Renata worked to create pathways for marginalized voices in climate advocacy. Leveraging Technology for Impact Following years of advocacy and study, Renata founded EmpoderaClima, a climate and gender advocacy and education organization with a simple principle: knowledge is empowerment, and empowerment is equality. It originally launched as a website in 2019 using technology to democratize climate information. “Technology is essential for EmpoderaClima because it allows us to reach people we otherwise…

Across the globe, Samsung’s professional display showrooms serve as launchpads for business innovation. Each space is designed to meet local market needs, fostering collaboration between clients and Samsung experts. Building on the story of Samsung’s Connected Experience Center in Irvine, California, the Frankfurt showroom provides a distinctly pan-European platform where ideas are tested, and Samsung’s vision of innovating displays beyond boundaries becomes reality. Since opening in 2018, Samsung’s Showcase & Training Centre in Frankfurt (the Frankfurt showroom) has played a central role in the region’s B2B strategy. What began as a space focused on LED technology has evolved into a full-scale engagement hub that highlights Samsung’s latest innovations — from The Wall and Cinema LED Onyx to Color E-Paper, Spatial Signage, various AI solutions, and VXT — the company’s cloud-native CMS for digital signage. ▲ The Frankfurt showroom offers an engaging environment where clients can explore Samsung’s latest display innovations and collaborative solutions. At the showroom, clients are guided through immersive demonstrations that go beyond product features. The space allows decision-makers to see real-world solutions in action, align stakeholders, and move quickly from idea to execution. Samsung Newsroom spoke with four members of the European business to learn more about the company’s professional display business. ▲ (From left) Erica Cassells, Event Manager (Europe); Joachim Wieczorek, Head of Sales LED Signage (Germany); Anna Mindnich, Head of B2B Marketing CE (Germany); and Steven Pollok, Director of Display Division (Germany). From Showcase to Ecosystem: A Strategic Hub for European Display The showroom has transformed into a working strategy lab where Samsung presents not just products, but integrated ecosystems. The evolution happened as clients are increasingly interested in platform compatibility, wireless sharing, and end-to-end security. Now with Samsung’s VXT solution, for example, visitors can see firsthand how digital signage content is scheduled, distributed, and monitored seamlessly. “Clients rarely come in looking for a single screen,” said Joachim Wieczorek, Head of LED Sales. “They want confidence in a solution — and that means seeing how the technology works, how it fits into their environment, and how it’s supported long-term.” Another trend is that clients increasingly want to understand Samsung’s broader ecosystem and its security model — especially in corporate and public sector environments. “When it comes to sensitive data or high-security environments, that control matters,” Wieczorek said. “We often hear from clients that they want fewer third parties involved — and the showroom gives them a chance to see how our full stack works together.” ▲ Joachim Wieczorek, Head of LED Sales in Germany, guides clients through Samsung’s flagship LED solutions. This approach has reshaped client engagements. Materna, a German IT and service management firm, initially came to view a single LED wall. After experiencing the full ecosystem, the team found opportunities to leverage a solution, rather than a single product, to increase business operation value. Materna left with a comprehensive vision that included LED, LCD, and Samsung VXT — an integrated solution that demonstrated the value of end-to-end collaboration with Samsung. “The focus is no longer on resolution or price — it becomes about performance, scalability, and the confidence that Samsung can deliver,” Wieczorek added. ▲ Materna uses Samsung displays to create welcoming reception areas (left) and dynamic presentation spaces (right) that support collaboration and client engagement. Toyota Motor also turned to the Frankfurt showroom to explore a unified digital transformation across its dealership network. The visit repositioned Samsung from vendor to strategic partner, demonstrating capabilities in standardization, streamlined procurement, and scalability…