Samsung Biologics Co., the biotech arm of South Korea’s Samsung Group, has launched a major reshuffle of its organization ahead of the full operations of its fourth plant in Songdo, Incheon.

According to multiple sources from the biotech industry on Thursday, Samsung Biologics has recently combined teams and demoted some manager-level employees as part of an organization realignment. The move comes ahead of the full operations of Plant 4 that has the largest capacity among the company’s facilities.

The latest changes in the organization have raised concerns among the employees that the company has switched to “emergency mode” to prepare for a potential downturn in business.

“We are not in an emergency mode at all,” said an unnamed official from Samsung Biologics. “We just realigned the organization for more efficiency.”

Meanwhile, James Park, former executive vice president and chief business officer at Samsung Biologics that led the company’s global business, resigned in December. He will take on a new role as head of GC Cell Corp., a developer and manufacturer of immune cell therapy drugs, after board approval in March.

Global sales at Samsung Biologics is being temporarily led by its President and CEO John Rim.

By Yoo Joo-yeon, Shin Yoo-geoung and Choi Jieun

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