SK Group and TSMC Deepen Collaboration on HBM and Advanced Packaging
N.R. Finch
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won met TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei in Taiwan on June 3. The two sides agreed to expand cooperation on next-generation HBM and advanced packaging, aiming to deliver scalable solutions for AI supply-chain bottlenecks.
Why does this meeting matter?
This was the first face-to-face talk between Chey and Wei since June 2024 — a full year apart.
Both sides exchanged views on next-generation AI trends and reached consensus on co-shaping the AI ecosystem.
This means → the relationship is moving beyond buyer-supplier toward jointly defining the product roadmap.
Where exactly is the cooperation expanding?
Two core areas: next-generation HBM development and advanced packaging.
HBM — high-bandwidth memory, a stacked memory architecture purpose-built for AI chips — is one of the tightest bottlenecks in AI compute today. Advanced packaging — the process of assembling multiple chips tightly together — determines whether HBM and GPUs can work efficiently as one unit.
In plain terms = SK Hynix builds the "memory blocks"; TSMC builds the "process that mounts them." Both must be deeply coordinated for AI chips to perform.
What problem are they trying to solve?
Both sides explicitly flagged increasingly severe supply bottlenecks across the global AI value chain.
SK Hynix's AI memory technology + TSMC's foundry capability → the goal is a deployable, scalable solution.
This reflects a reality: AI demand is growing faster than upstream capacity can expand — no single company can close the loop alone.
What to watch next?
The two companies plan to accelerate their push into the custom AI memory market, targeting diversified demand from major global tech clients.
SK Hynix said its goal is to deliver high-performance products at the right time and cement its leadership in the AI era.
The real test: whether this meeting produces a concrete product roadmap and mass-production timeline. Without a timeline, consensus is still just consensus.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.