"Promoting Construction of AI Factories in Japan... An Excellent Candidate with the Necessary Ecosystem in Place"

*This content was translated by AI.

-Interview with Nikkei

SK Group plans to build a semiconductor production base in Japan.

It is noteworthy that Chairman Choi Tae-won of SK Group has specified Japan as the location after announcing plans to construct a next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data center called an "AI Factory" in Japan and expressing intentions to expand semiconductor production bases overseas.

In an interview with Nikkei in Tokyo on the 10th, SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won stated, "We plan to build an AI-specialized data center called an 'AI Factory' in Japan, targeting 2028 to 2029."

"Japan is an excellent candidate as it is a semiconductor-producing country with all the necessary ecosystems, including power and materials," said Choi (Chairman), adding, "AI factories are more important than semiconductor factories in Japan. Infrastructure and software are needed to enhance production efficiency using AI."

An AI factory is a data center dedicated to AI. By combining high-bandwidth memory (HBM) produced by SK Hynix with graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia, it can achieve high computational performance while reducing power consumption.

Previously, SK announced plans to operate its first AI factory in Korea in 2027 in collaboration with Nvidia, with future plans to expand to gigawatt (GW) scale and extend operations across Asia. Japan has been selected as the first target for overseas expansion.

"We also expect the project to serve as a 'showcase' that supports the expanded use of AI by Japanese companies while showcasing our own semiconductor technology," explained Choi (Chairman).

"As the AI industry expands, semiconductor demand will continue to grow," predicted Choi (Chairman). He stated, "Hyperscalers (ultra-large cloud service providers) are competing to invest in AI. While most investments are currently BtoB (business-to-business), the demand for personal AI agents is increasing, and computational capabilities will continue to advance."

"Concerned about the imbalance in the supply and demand of memory semiconductors, Choi (Chairman) emphasized the concept of a 'Korea-Japan Economic Community.' SK plans to expand cooperation with Japanese companies such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker Tokyo Electron and NAND flash maker Kioxia on research and development and the construction of an AI ecosystem. Choi (Chairman) stressed, "They will play a major role in the economic security of both countries. As the global situation changes, the two nations have no choice but to join forces. It is an emergency situation for survival."

Meanwhile, SK is also accelerating the expansion of its semiconductor production capacity. It is currently constructing the world's largest semiconductor cluster in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and plans to complete the factory several years ahead of the original schedule. The company is also focusing on production efficiency through the AI-ization of semiconductor factories and the expansion of engineer hiring.

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*This content was translated by AI.