SK Hynix reportedly in talks with Intel to build memory chips in US
TechCrunch Kate Park
SK Hynix is talking with Intel about making RAM chips in the U.S. It could mean Hynix’s first US chip production, and Seoul may want a say.
Based on reporting by TechCrunch, Kate Park — read the original for the full story.
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SK Hynix is reportedly in talks with Intel about making RAM chips in the U.S. for the first time. Reuters, citing unnamed sources, says the companies have discussed several setups, including SK Hynix leasing space at Intel’s planned Ohio factory.
A joint venture is also on the table, and that version could bring cloud-service providers into the mix. But SK Hynix says nothing has been decided. In a statement to TechCrunch, the company said it is “exploring various options” to improve its global competitiveness, while making clear that no specific plan or arrangement has been finalized.
The timing makes sense. Demand for high-bandwidth memory chips has surged thanks to AI data centers, and SK Hynix has been one of the biggest winners. The company is already building a $3.8 billion advanced packaging and research facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, where mass production is expected to begin in 2029. That site will use DRAM wafers made in South Korea and turn them into HBM chips.
What Ohio would make, if anything, is still unclear. And the politics around it may be just as important as the factory floor. The Trump administration is pushing to expand semiconductor production in the U.S., while also floating tariffs on imported chips and tariff relief for companies that invest domestically. Seoul could still review any move that involves strategically sensitive chip technology.
Intel and SK Hynix already know each other well. Intel sold its NAND flash-memory business to SK Hynix in 2020 for $9 billion. Intel did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
This is the sort of deal governments love to pretend is purely industrial and purely market-driven at the same time. It isn’t. Once chipmaking gets tied to tariffs, subsidies, and strategic tech reviews, every “exploring options” statement starts sounding like diplomacy with better lighting.
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