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Apr 17
OpenAI's HBM push signals a new AI memory arms race
A recent report by South Korea's Chosun Biz highlights how OpenAI is actively building a dedicated supply line with Samsung Electronics to secure high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for its artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Spanish optical inspection startup Wooptix officially unveiled its first inspection system, Phemet, in November 2025. The company stated that its first-generation prototype has already undergone testing and collaboration with European research institutions and major wafer manufacturers. Moving forward, the system will be further refined based on customer requirements.
Odisha broke ground on India's first advanced 3D chip packaging unit on April 19, 2026, a move that could reshape global semiconductor supply chains by adding high-end heterogeneous integration capacity in South Asia, attracting investment for aerospace, defense, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and data center applications, and creating jobs.
Amid rising geopolitical tensions linked to semiconductors, European countries and industries are increasingly anxious about semiconductor autonomy. This concern has empowered many European chip startups to believe that local computing demands can sustain homegrown firms. Spanish companies Semidynamics and Openchip see this opportunity as a key foundation for growth in the coming years.
Printed circuit board (PCB) giant Zhen Ding Technology held a board meeting on April 17 and approved plans for its subsidiary, Leading Interconnect Semiconductor Technology (LIST), to apply for a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The proposal will be submitted for review at the upcoming annual general meeting. The company stated that the move aims to unlock the standalone value of its high-growth business and strengthen the group's global competitiveness in core infrastructure in the artificial intelligence (AI) era.
SK Hynix has begun mass production of its 192GB SOCAMM2 memory module, marking a major step in the commercialization of next-generation low-power server DRAM designed for AI workloads, according to a company press release on April 20, 2026. Built on SK Hynix's 1-c nm (10nm-class sixth-generation) process and LPDDR5X technology, the module is positioned as a core memory solution for AI servers, particularly for training and inference of large language models.
Memory makers are accelerating the phase-out of older mobile DRAM generations, with policies on LPDDR4 and DDR4 increasingly converging toward end-of-life (EOL) management as the industry shifts capacity toward higher-value LPDDR5, LPDDR5X, and server-class memory products.

Samsung Electronics has begun testing domestic EUV blank masks in its 4nm foundry production line, a shift aimed at cutting reliance on Japanese suppliers and tightening control over critical chipmaking materials.

Cerebras Systems has renewed its push to go public, filing for an initial public offering (IPO) after shelving an earlier attempt amid regulatory scrutiny and shifting market conditions. The AI chipmaker and data center operator, headquartered in California, is seeking to capitalize on surging demand for AI infrastructure as hyperscalers ramp up spending.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of April 13-19, 2026:

The global retreat from 2D NAND flash production is no longer a possibility but an emerging certainty. As major memory makers exit the segment, tightening supply has driven a sharp surge in prices for low-capacity chips. Recent market chatter suggests that United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) could receive foundry orders for SLC and MLC flash, a move that, if realized, might disrupt what is shaping up to be an increasingly concentrated supply landscape.

The Canary Islands, an Atlantic archipelago off northwest Africa, have long been defined by tourism rather than technology.