Silicon Alliance: SK Hynix and Intel Discuss AI Memory Production in the US

Geopolitical risks are forcing Asian monopolists to relocate production capacities to the West. On September 16, 2026, reports surfaced of early-stage negotiations between South Korea’s SK Hynix (a leader in HBM memory production for AI) and American corporation Intel. The parties are discussing the possibility of localizing microchip assembly at Intel’s under-construction plant in Ohio.

The collaboration could take the form of leasing lines or a full-fledged joint venture involving cloud providers. For macroeconomics, this leak confirms the reshoring trend (returning production). The shortage of high-speed memory threatens the pace of server assembly, and hyperscalers are no longer willing to depend on fragile logistics across the Pacific Ocean. If the deal goes through, the US will gain a fully closed-loop production cycle for AI hardware (from NVIDIA processors to SK Hynix memory) on its own territory, guaranteeing infrastructural security.

Source: SK Hynix / Intel / Reuters