Closer to Silicon: Google DeepMind Opens AI Campus in South Korea

The geography of R&D centers is shifting following microelectronics production. On April 27, 2026, an agreement was announced between Google and South Korean authorities (MSIT) to open a dedicated DeepMind AI campus in Seoul.

The move is highly pragmatic. Following the recent decision by South Korea’s SK hynix to invest $13 billion in expanding HBM memory capacity (critical for AI), Google is logically placing its researchers at the epicenter of hardware innovation. While Alphabet pours $40 billion into Anthropic to compete in the US and Europe, the Seoul campus will provide direct access to top Asian talent and tight integration of software development with next-generation chip manufacturers.

Source: Reuters / MSIT