June 3, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — SK hynix plans to double its wafer production capacity over the next five years as artificial intelligence demand continues to reshape the global memory chip market, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said.

Speaking at Computex in Taipei, Chey said the company would move at full speed to expand capacity despite expected challenges. He also reiterated that tight memory chip supply could persist through 2030.

AI server demand has sharply increased the importance of high-bandwidth memory, which is critical for AI accelerators and data center systems. According to Counterpoint Research, SK hynix held 58% of the global HBM market in the first quarter, while Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology each held 21%.

As a key HBM supplier to Nvidia, SK hynix has become one of the main beneficiaries of the AI infrastructure boom. Chey said Nvidia’s upcoming AI PC architecture will require large amounts of memory, creating additional long-term demand for the memory industry.

He also said SK hynix hopes to become the main HBM supplier for Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform.

Analysts said AI demand is changing the traditionally cyclical structure of the memory market. Continued investment in AI servers, accelerators and data centers is expected to keep supply-demand conditions tight for HBM and high-end DRAM products.

Goldman Sachs recently raised its 2028 operating profit forecasts for SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, citing sustained AI-driven demand. Investor interest in AI memory has also lifted valuations across the memory sector.

Competition in the HBM market is intensifying. Samsung has publicly shown a prototype of its next-generation HBM5 product and introduced an HPB thermal solution for future high-end memory products. The company has also reportedly sent HBM4E samples to customers as it seeks to accelerate its position in advanced AI memory.

Regarding SK hynix’s HBM4E production plans, Chey said the timing would depend on customer demand. He noted that there is currently one major customer for HBM4E, a remark widely understood to refer to Nvidia.

Chey added that SK hynix plans to deepen cooperation with Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem beyond its existing collaboration with TSMC.

Asked whether DRAM and HBM prices would continue rising, Chey said the industry should focus on long-term sustainability. He warned that excessively rapid price increases could hurt the broader AI ecosystem and undermine the industry’s long-term growth.