SK Hynix Inc. is relocating key DRAM engineers from its Icheon headquarters to a new facility in Cheongju as the memory maker races to meet surging artificial intelligence chip demand.
The South Korean chipmaker plans to deploy veteran front-end DRAM processing specialists to set up infrastructure and equipment at its M15X plant, which is under construction with an investment of more than 20 trillion won ($15.4 billion). The facility, scheduled for completion in November 2025, will focus on producing High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips.
The move follows Nvidia Corp.’s push for faster HBM delivery. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won revealed that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang requested to accelerate the supply of next-generation HBM4 chips by six months during their recent meeting.
Market researchers expect HBM supply constraints to persist. TrendForce notes that HBM has emerged as a key growth driver for the DRAM industry, with HBM3E chips likely to face tight supply through 2025.
SK Hynix, which began mass production of 12-stack HBM3E chips last month, dismissed concerns about potential demand slowdown. The company says it has already secured orders for its entire 2025 HBM production capacity.
