SK Hynix and Samsung secured roles in OpenAI’s $500bn Stargate data-centre project.
Shares of SK Hynix soared 10%, while Samsung Electronics rose over 3% in Thursday’s Seoul trading.
Both companies will supply high-bandwidth memory (HBM), crucial for AI’s massive data-processing demands.
Samsung dominates global DRAM and NAND flash production, powering data servers and devices worldwide.
SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest DRAM maker, leads in HBM production, key to Nvidia’s AI chips.
Together, the two firms control over half the global memory market, shaping pricing and technology trends.
OpenAI Fuels Massive Memory Demand
The Stargate project aims to build AI supercomputers across multiple continents.
Industry experts estimate the initiative will consume hundreds of thousands of HBM wafers monthly.
That scale strengthens SK Hynix’s dominance in HBM3 and boosts Samsung’s push into HBM4.
HBM enables ultra-fast data movement, vital for training and deploying large AI models.
Standard memory cannot handle the data volumes required by modern artificial intelligence.
The unprecedented demand will reshape global semiconductor capacity and investment patterns.
South Korea Emerges as AI Stronghold
The project reinforces South Korea’s ambition to grow as a regional technology hub.
OpenAI’s decision ties Seoul more closely with US-led AI infrastructure initiatives.
Washington supports building critical AI facilities in allied nations to reduce reliance on China.
Korea’s export-driven chip industry provides the scale and political alignment for this partnership.
Hosting the Stargate infrastructure strengthens South Korea’s global role in the AI economy.
The initiative marks a strategic milestone in the country’s technology ambitions.
