SK Group in Talks with Foxconn on AI Supply Chain Collaboration: Taiwan-Korea Tech Giants May Deepen Strategic Synergy
Alina Collins
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won held a private meeting with Foxconn Chairman Young Liu during COMPUTEX 2026 to discuss cooperation on AI data centers and infrastructure — the latest signal that SK is extending its AI strategy beyond memory chips into the broader ecosystem, potentially reshaping the Taiwan-Korea AI supply-chain dynamic.
What are the two groups actually talking about?
The conversation is not about direct procurement of HBM (high-bandwidth memory) or other storage products. It centers on joint development of AI data centers, AI factories, and supporting infrastructure.
This means → the two sides are looking past a single purchase order toward long-term complementarity at the next-generation AI hardware-platform level.
In plain terms = Foxconn's server memory is typically specified by brand clients or cloud providers, so SK selling memory directly to Foxconn doesn't make sense. The real overlap is "building better AI data centers together."
What does each side bring to the table?
SK Group's hand: SKC's glass substrates — a next-gen material replacing traditional organic substrates, offering higher density, better flatness, and lower power — which speed up chip-to-chip data transfer. SK enmove is advancing immersion liquid-cooling solutions. SK Telecom has designated AI infrastructure a core growth engine and is already expanding into Southeast Asia through a project in Vietnam's Nghe An province.
Foxconn's hand: massive-scale manufacturing and systems-integration experience in global AI servers and core rack assemblies.
This means → one side holds next-generation materials and thermal technology; the other can mass-produce and integrate them into complete systems — complementary, not competitive.
Is this meeting a sudden development?
Not at all. During Nvidia's GTC conference in March 2026, Chey led a delegation to Foxconn's booth and was reportedly impressed by its next-gen AI server racks.
On the opening day of this year's COMPUTEX (June 2), Chey visited Foxconn's exhibition area again, hosted by Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII) Chairman Cheng Hung-meng.
This reflects a progression from "initial introduction" to "repeated face-to-face engagement" — the tempo is accelerating.
How does Chey view Taiwan's AI ecosystem?
In a COMPUTEX interview, he said Taiwan has already seized the initiative in the AI wave and built a complete AI industry ecosystem.
SK Group's push to build AI factories requires not just Taiwan's semiconductor industry but its broader AI supply chain.
In plain terms = SK's HBM business is already locked into an "iron triangle" with Nvidia and TSMC, but memory chips alone aren't enough. Building AI factories demands servers, cooling, racks — an entire chain whose core manufacturing capability sits in Taiwan.
What should we watch next?
Sources say SK Group's private jet is still parked at Taipei Songshan Airport. Chey is expected to return to Korea on June 4 after roughly five days in Taiwan.
Young Liu is expected to accompany Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at Foxconn's booth event on June 3 — a window for another meeting before Chey departs.
This means → if the two meet again on June 3, the signal strengthens considerably — moving from "private contact" to "a publicly visible cadence of cooperation."
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.