Logistics Reshuffle: SK hynix Builds Plant in US While Qualcomm Moves to Vietnam

The hardware base of artificial intelligence is urgently fleeing geopolitical risk zones. On August 28, 2026, two massive shifts in supply chains were recorded. First, Korean SK hynix (the largest manufacturer of HBM memory) broke ground in Indiana (USA) for an advanced HBM4E chip packaging plant. Second, Qualcomm announced plans to make Vietnam its third-largest AI R&D center in the world.

The industry has realized the catastrophic nature of its dependence on a single island (Taiwan) and mainland China. Relocating ultra-fast memory production to the US guarantees American hyperscalers physical access to data center components, even in the event of a political collapse in Asia. At the same time, Vietnam is pragmatically integrating into algorithm and semiconductor development, attracting gigantic investments due to its cheap engineering base. The global "hardware" market is decentralizing, requiring corporations to spend tens of billions of dollars in additional capital expenditures (CAPEX) to duplicate infrastructure.

Source: SK hynix / Qualcomm / Reuters