Representative Image. Credit: SK Hynix
Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, said in July, “I think we need to build a factory in the United States.
One option under discussion would have SK Hynix lease part of Intel’s planned chipmaking facility in Ohio, according to a report by the news agency Reuters. SK Hynix told Reuters that it is “reviewing various measures, including establishing additional production bases, to strengthen the competitiveness of its memory business,” but “no matters have been determined at this stage. Later, the company said it had not finalised anything regarding cooperation with specific companies or memory chip production in the US. If possible, I believe we should build it,” he told reporters.
Intel is reportedly in talks with SK Hynix over a possible deal that could help the South Korean chipmaker manufacture memory chips in the US for the very first time. Another possibility is a joint venture involving Intel and major cloud companies that want to secure memory chip supplies. However, the plan could face a hurdle in South Korea, where advanced memory technologies such as DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) are considered sensitive. This means SK Hynix may need Seoul’s approval before moving some advanced chip production to the US, the report added. Under one proposal, SK Hynix could lease part of Intel’s long-delayed chipmaking facility in Ohio. Another option could involve Intel, SK Hynix and major cloud companies forming a joint venture to secure memory supplies. SK Hynix already has a chip packaging facility under construction in Indiana.