Chey Tae-won Proposes Memory Service to Alleviate HBM Supply Bottlenecks

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, has announced a concept of 'Memory as a Service (MaaS)' to address supply bottlenecks for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in artificial intelligence semiconductors. SK Hynix is considering a service model that adjusts memory resources and supply structures according to customer demand. Chairman Chey mentioned that SK Hynix could become a 'memory service provider' and emphasized that memory is becoming a bottleneck in the AI market. MaaS is a concept where customers can utilize the necessary memory resources and operational methods like a service, indicating that new software is needed. ABMedia reported that Chairman Chey stated that the demand for HBM is increasing due to the proliferation of AI agents. SK Hynix is exploring ways to coordinate HBM supply in collaboration with NVIDIA and TSMC, sharing investment risks with customers. HBM is a type of memory that stacks multiple DRAMs vertically to enhance data processing speed and power efficiency, used alongside AI accelerators. Chairman Chey proposed measures to reduce volatility in the memory industry through joint customer investments and long-term contract structures. SK Hynix is expected to hold 56.4% of the HBM market by the first quarter of 2026. However, it remains uncertain whether MaaS will lead to actual business operations.