Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has held a series of high-level meetings with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix executives in South Korea, as the company intensifies efforts to strengthen its semiconductor supply chain. The visit comes at a critical time when global demand for AI and advanced computing chips continues to surge.
A key focus of the discussions with Samsung centered on potential collaboration for manufacturing Qualcomm’s next-generation processors using advanced 2nm process technology. Reports suggest that Qualcomm may consider shifting part of its chip production back to Samsung Foundry, marking a potential return after nearly five years of relying primarily on other manufacturers.
The move is driven in part by rising wafer costs and the need for diversification in supply sources. By adopting a dual-sourcing strategy, Qualcomm aims to reduce dependency on a single supplier while ensuring greater flexibility and resilience in its production pipeline. The company has already completed the design work for upcoming chips, making manufacturing partnerships a critical next step.
In parallel, Amon’s meeting with SK Hynix focused on securing memory components, particularly low-power DRAM, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which are essential for AI and high-performance computing applications. With shortages of key memory components intensifying, chipmakers are increasingly prioritizing direct agreements with suppliers to ensure stable access.
The discussions also extended to future technologies, including memory solutions for AI accelerators and server-grade systems. As Qualcomm expands beyond smartphones into areas such as data centres and AI infrastructure, partnerships with memory leaders like SK Hynix are becoming strategically important to support these ambitions.
Overall, the CEO’s visit highlights the growing competition in the semiconductor industry, where companies are racing to secure manufacturing capacity and critical components. As AI-driven demand reshapes the market, collaborations between chip designers and manufacturers are becoming central to maintaining technological leadership and meeting global demand.
