SK hynix is actively searching across Japan for sites for new factories to meet surging AI demand. Alongside prioritizing power and water availability, the company is accelerating initiatives related to its global expansion, including its stake in Kioxia and plans for HBM4E mass production.
South Korea’s SK hynix is searching across Japan for sites to build new memory chip factories. The company aims to contain production costs while meeting surging AI demand, and is considering locations with reliable power and water supplies.
Chairman Choi Tae-won (崔泰源) said publicly, “We are searching all across Japan. Any location with reliable power and water is worth considering,” but did not disclose potential partners under consideration or specific candidate sites. People familiar with the matter also suggested that small-scale acquisitions could be possible.
The company holds an approximately 14% stake in Japan’s Kioxia Holdings through Bain Capital. There is also information that it is carefully considering ways to jointly develop the NAND market.
SK hynix is said to account for 58% of HBM market revenue in the first quarter of 2026, far ahead of the shares held by Samsung Electronics and Micron. Its factory in Indiana is scheduled to begin mass production of HBM4E in the third quarter of 2029, with the project representing an investment of approximately $4 billion.