SK Group, NVIDIA Expand Partnership for AI Factories and Memory
SK Group and NVIDIA formalized a strategic partnership exceeding $500 billion at an AI summit on July 24, 2026, aiming to build large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure and secure next-generation memory supply chains. The agreement, executed through letters of intent, unites SK Telecom and SK hynix under a unified vision to deploy world-class AI factories across South Korea and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Central to the collaboration is SK Telecom’s initiative to construct a 2-gigawatt AI cloud facility utilizing NVIDIA’s full-stack DSX architecture. Powered by NVIDIA Vera Rubin accelerated computing and integrated with SK hynix’s upcoming HBM4 memory, the first AI factory is scheduled to become operational in 2027. The DSX platform is engineered to deliver maximum energy efficiency and the lowest cost per token, directly addressing the escalating computational demands of enterprise, sovereign, and agentic AI workloads. By developing capital-intensive infrastructure in-house, SK Telecom will simultaneously expand its service portfolio and democratize access to advanced cloud capabilities for a wider range of customers. In parallel, SK hynix and NVIDIA have established a long-term technical and supply agreement to co-develop and optimize next-generation high-bandwidth memory solutions. This partnership ensures NVIDIA’s access to stable, cutting-edge AI memory while providing SK hynix with a secure foundation for future growth. The collaboration will prioritize performance enhancements tailored to large language model training, physical AI applications, and autonomous systems. Industry leaders emphasized the geopolitical and economic significance of the alliance. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won noted that the convergence of SK hynix’s memory technology and SK Telecom’s infrastructure capabilities will elevate South Korea from an AI adopter to a primary driver of global innovation. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the country’s advanced networking, semiconductor leadership, and industrial capacity as critical ingredients for establishing a new generation of AI factories that will fuel sustained economic expansion. The partnership represents a coordinated push to solidify the regional technology ecosystem against intensifying global compute shortages. By integrating accelerated hardware, advanced memory architectures, and dedicated power infrastructure, the alliance aims to accelerate AI deployment cycles and establish a scalable model for sustainable, high-density computing in emerging markets.
