Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD, met with the leaders of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix during her visit to South Korea. As the artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator market rapidly expands, there is growing interest in the potential for collaboration between AMD and domestic semiconductor companies, particularly in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and foundry services.
According to industry sources, Su met with key executives, including Jong-Hyun Jun, CEO of Samsung Electronics and head of the Device Solutions (DS) division, at Samsung's Seocho office in Gangnam on the afternoon of October 7.
This meeting marked the first in about seven months between Su and Jun. During Su's previous visit in March, she toured the Pyeongtaek campus production line with Jun and Han Jin-man, president of Samsung's foundry division, and later dined with Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, in Hannam-dong, Yongsan.
The discussions reportedly focused on collaboration in the AI semiconductor sector, including HBM. Samsung continues to supply HBM3E (5th generation) and HBM4 (6th generation) to AMD's AI accelerators. AMD has designated Samsung as the primary supplier for HBM4, which will be used in its next-generation AI accelerator, the Instinct MI455X.
There is also interest in expanding collaboration in the foundry sector. As AMD seeks to catch up with NVIDIA in the AI accelerator market, the importance of securing advanced manufacturing capabilities is increasing. For Samsung, securing AMD as a foundry client could enhance its operational efficiency and improve its financial performance.
Su also met with Kwon Oh-jung, CEO of SK Hynix, during her visit, marking their first official meeting in South Korea.
This meeting raises the possibility of new collaborations between AMD and SK Hynix in next-generation high-performance memory, such as HBM4. As competition intensifies for securing HBM, which is crucial for AI accelerator performance, AMD recognizes the need to strengthen partnerships with memory manufacturers to establish a stable supply chain.
AMD is accelerating its efforts in the AI accelerator market. Consequently, it is expected that AMD will expand its engagement with domestic companies across the semiconductor supply chain, including HBM, advanced packaging, and foundry services.
During her visit, Su also broadened her connections within the domestic AI ecosystem. Earlier in the day, she attended a roundtable at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, with participation from local AI semiconductor companies. In the afternoon, she attended the 'AMD Gamer Day' event at Dragon City in Yongsan.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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