SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has decided to build new fabs in Yongin and Cheongju to respond to the continuously growing demand for memory in the AI era.The company approved a total investment of approximately 54 trillion, on 35.2 trillion won in Yongin "Y2" fab and 19.1 trillion won in the Cheongju "M17" fab, in a board meeting.This decision represents execution of the mid-to-long-term investment strategy announced by the company last June. Under its master plan to invest 600 trillion won in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster and 100 trillion won to expand its Cheongju production base, SK hynix is currently constructing its first fab in Yongin (Y1). With this latest decision, the company is embarking on the construction of subsequent fabs in both Yongin and Cheongju.According to market research firm Omdia, both DRAM and NAND demand are projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19% from last year through 2030. The company views this growth not as a temporary supercycle, but as a structural transformation in which memory transcends its role as a mere component to become core infrastructure determining AI performance itself.SK hynix stated that in the AI era, technological competitiveness alone is not enough and the ability to supply the required volume at the exact moment customers need it is the ultimate competitive advantage. We reached this investment decision after a thorough review of market demand.Yongin Y2 is the second of four fabs planned sequentially for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster. It will serve as a DRAM production base spanning a total floor area of 341,000 pyeong (approximately 1,130,000m2). Construction is scheduled to break ground in July next year, targeting the opening of its first cleanroom in June 2029 to produce high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other next-generation DRAM products. Meanwhile, construction on Y1 is progressing smoothly toward its initial cleanroom opening target of February next year.SK hynix previously set a goal to advance the completion date of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster by 12 years—from the originally planned 2045 to 2033—to finish constructing all four fabs. The Y2 construction serves as the second phase supporting this accelerated timeline and the investment spans to October 2031 sequentially.The investment amount includes construction costs for "Business Support Building" with administrative and welfare facilities for Y2 personnel, an "Integrated R&D Center" to consolidate product development testing, analysis, and experiments, as well as auxiliary infrastructure1..1Auxiliary infrastructure: Water treatment facilities, utility conduits (underground structures capable of accommodating power lines, telecommunications lines, water/sewer pipes, and thermal supply lines), substations, warehouses, etc.For the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster—sprawling over approximately 1.26 million pyeong(approximately 4,160,000m2) in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do—Phase 1 power and water infrastructure required up through Y2 operation is nearing completion, currently at a 99% progress rate. As fab construction and infrastructure setup have been carried out concurrently, the company plans to proceed with the Y2 construction according to schedule.In the NAND market, demand is surging rapidly centered on enterprise SSDs driven by the full-scale expansion of AI services. This is further boosted by demand for key-value (KV) cache2 storage in AI inference, with application fields expected to broaden further as Agentic and Physical AI are introduced.2KV Cache: A technique that stores and reuses previously computed Key and Value vectors to minimize inefficient redundant calculations during inference.SK hynix selected Cheongju as its new NAND fab base because it offers the fastest fab construction timeline. The Cheongju Campus already houses the M11, M12, and M15 fabs, enabling efficient production linked to existing operations on sites equipped with substantial pre-established power and water infrastructure. Cheongju M17 will be built across a total area of 206,000 pyeong(approximately 680,000m2), breaking ground in February next year with plans to open its first cleanroom in December 2028. The investment period runs through April 2031 according to the master plan.SK hynix plans to proactively secure production infrastructure based on mid-to-long-term demand discussed with customers, while expanding actual production capacity in alignment with the timing of customer needs. Fabs will be constructed according to the master schedule, whereas cleanroom expansions and equipment installation will take place sequentially in line with demand trends to maximize capital efficiency.The company expects this investment to secure future growth foundations while strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic semiconductor ecosystem and boosting local economies. The large-scale simultaneous investments in Yongin and Cheongju are anticipated to expand joint growth opportunities for supply chain partners, generate employment, and revitalize local commercial districts, thereby contributing to the sustainable growth of the national economy.An SK hynix official stated that "This investment is a decision made to seize opportunities in line with the market's growth speed. By proactively securing production capabilities, we aim to establish ourselves as a key partner in AI infrastructure, contributing to the stability of the global AI semiconductor supply chain."SK hynix's Cheongju M17 fab.Credit: SK hynix

As global healthcare systems evolve, preventive medicine and digital health technologies are becoming key drivers of medical innovation. Aging populations, rising healthcare costs, and increasing chronic diseases are accelerating the transition from treatment-oriented care toward preventive, personalized, and data-driven health management.Within this transformation, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is being re-examined beyond its historical and cultural role. Increasingly, TCM is discussed in the context of systems-based healthcare, lifestyle regulation, and long-term health management. Its emphasis on prevention, adaptation, and holistic regulation reflects growing global interest in healthcare models that focus on maintaining balance and improving overall well-being.TCM has traditionally emphasized the dynamic relationship between human health and environmental changes. Practices such as seasonal adaptation, sleep regulation, dietary management, and stress balance share conceptual similarities with modern healthcare research in areas including circadian rhythms, lifestyle medicine, and preventive care.Meanwhile, advances in digital technologies are reshaping healthcare delivery. Wearable devices, mobile health platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics now enable continuous monitoring of physiological indicators, including heart rate variability, sleep patterns, activity levels, and stress-related signals. These technologies create new opportunities to connect traditional health concepts with modern data-driven healthcare systems.The integration of TCM with digital innovation has become an emerging interdisciplinary field. AI-assisted diagnosis, wearable health monitoring, smart herbal medicine production, digital supply chains, and biotechnology applications are opening new pathways for the modernization of traditional medicine.This article series explores the evolving role of TCM in modern healthcare, covering preventive health, lifestyle management, wearable technologies, AI applications, herbal biotechnology, smart agriculture, and the globalization of traditional medicine.Taiwan’s development in biotechnology, information technology, precision agriculture, and healthcare innovation provides a unique foundation for advancing this integration. Emerging research in plant-derived biomaterials, intelligent cultivation systems, and herbal medicine applications demonstrates the potential of combining traditional knowledge with modern science and engineering.The modernization of TCM does not mean replacing traditional practices with technology. Instead, it represents a process of reinterpretation—using scientific validation and digital tools to enhance understanding, application, and global communication of traditional healthcare concepts.Challenges remain, including standardization, clinical validation, regulatory frameworks, and data integration. However, as healthcare continues to move toward predictive, personalized, and continuously monitored models, TCM may contribute valuable perspectives on preventive care, holistic health management, and system-oriented healthcare thinking.The convergence of traditional medicine and digital innovation will continue to shape new possibilities for the future of global healthcare.

SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today in collaboration with Sandisk that it has unveiled the first standard specifications for High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), a next-generation storage technology.The announcement coincides with the opening of 'FMS (Future of Memory and Storage) 2026,' held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California from August 4 to 6 (local time). The company is set to present HBF as a key technology to overcome memory bottlenecks in the AI era through keynote speeches and panel discussions during the event.HBF technology is a new memory layer between HBM and SSDs. It enables high-speed data transfer similar to HBM while significantly expanding capacity by leveraging NAND technology. With the expansion of AI inference driving a surge in data volumes to process, HBF is gaining attention as a technology that simultaneously resolves bandwidth and capacity scalability challenges.This milestone comes about six months after launching the consortium in February this year, following the initial standardization partnership with Sandisk in August 2025. Capacity specifications cover up to 512GB based on two stack configurations (8-high and 16-high NAND dies). Bandwidth is categorized into three grades (Grade1~3), delivering scalable performance from approximately 0.4TB/s to 3.0TB/s.A key highlight is the interconnect linking HBF technology and processors. HBF technology adopts UCIe, an industry standard connection interface, laying the groundwork to flexibly integrate HBF technology across different processor types, including GPUs and CPUs.The standard also outlines 1. connection interfaces and electrical characteristics, 2. reliability and packaging guidelines for HBF die stack process, 3. software I/O guidelines.The specification was disclosed through the Open Compute Project (OCP), world's largest open data center technology initiative, positioning it as an open standard for the entire industry rather than a proprietary technology.SK hynix plans to leverage this release to expand the adoption of HBF technology in the AI storage market and foster the surrounding ecosystem. With Google and Tenstorrent currently participating in the HBF consortium, the consortium aims to expand its reach while enhancing technical maturity and market acceptance based on open collaboration.On the opening day of FMS 2026 (August 4, local time), SK hynix Executive Vice President Kim Chun-sung (Head of Solution Development) and Vice President Kang Uk-song (Head of Next Generation Product Planning) will deliver a joint keynote address, titled 'Orchestrating Efficient AI Infrastructure through Tiered Memory in the Era of Agentic AI.'As Agentic AI rapidly commercializes, the volume of data to process is surging alongside growing demands for higher speed and efficiency. Recognizing that a single memory type cannot address these complex challenges, both speakers will present the necessity and future direction of a next-generation architecture based on 'Tiered Memory' a framework that connects and optimizes diverse memory types into a unified system.On August 6, SK hynix Vice President Lim Eui-cheol (Head of Solution AT), Sandisk Vice President Rajeev Nagabhirava and Google DeepMind Senior Staff Engineer Xiaoyu Ma will join a panel discussion titled 'Breaking the Memory Wall with High Bandwidth Flash.' Bringing together key leaders across memory, storage and AI, the session will examine fundamental shifts in memory architecture across AI infrastructure and highlight the potential and role of HBF as a transformative solution.Furthermore, SK hynix will host an exhibition booth throughout FMS 2026, featuring a Partnership Zone, a Next-Generation Tech Zone and Tech Sessions.Notably, the company will publicly reveal for the first time its tenth-generation (V10) 375-layer 4D NAND wafer and products, which are currently under development. The 375-layer 4D NAND improves performance per watt by 2.5 times compared to the previous generation, making it optimized for AI infrastructure environments like data centers that demand high power efficiency and performance. The company plans to initiate mass production of high-performance, high capacity eSSDs based on the 375-layer 4D NAND early next year to reinforce its leadership in the AI NAND market.SK hynix will also display a versatile product lineup spanning mobile, PC, automotive and robotics, showcasing the company's competitive edge in memory technology and its collaborative achievements with customers in the AI era."With the rapid spread of AI applications, we are at a point where overall data processing structures must be redesigned," said SK hynix Executive Vice President and Head of Solution Development Kim Chun-sung, adding, "Through HBF, SK hynix will expand the boundaries between memory and storage and contribute to building new architectures that enhance overall system efficiency."SK hynix exhibition booth at FMS 2026. SK hynix