The chip shortage is very much still a thing, and it could even affect Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro launch next month. Now, SK Hynix, one of the three major DRAM and NAND manufacturers, has announced that it will invest in a new DRAM and a new NAND fab.
The former represents a KRW 35.2 trillion (approximately $25 billion) investment, while the latter is a KRW 19.1 trillion (approximately $13.5 billion) investment. The DRAM fab is expected to open in June 2029, while the NAND fab is expected to open in December 2028.
So, while such investments are definitely welcome, they will not solve the chip shortage anytime soon. SK Hynix quotes Omdia saying that both DRAM and NAND demand are expected to “maintain a compound annual growth rate of 19% from last year to 2030”. The chip maker also thinks that “the ability to supply the required volume at the exact moment customers need it is the ultimate competitive advantage”, and that’s why it decided to greenlight these investments.
An SK Hynix official said: “This investment is a decision made to seize opportunities in line with the market’s growth speed. By proactively securing production capabilities, we aim to establish ourselves as a key partner in AI infrastructure, contributing to the stability of the global AI semiconductor supply chain”.