Seoul, February 26, 2026 – SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) and Sandisk Corporation held 'HBF Spec. Standardization Consortium Kick-Off' event at Sandisk Headquarters in Milpitas, California on the 25th(local time) announcing global standardization strategy of next-generation memory solution HBF(High Bandwidth Flash) aimed at the AI inference era.SK hynix said, "By making HBF an industry standard, together with Sandisk, we will lay the foundation for the entire AI ecosystem to grow together. A dedicated workstream under OCP1 will be launched with Sandisk to begin standardization work."Recently, the AI industry is shifting from training which focuses on creating Large Language Models (LLMs) to inference, which accelerates actual AI services to users.Fast and efficient memory is essential as the number of users using AI services increases rapidly. However, the existing memory structure cannot meet the high capacity data processing and power efficiency at the same time in the inference stage and HBF technology is designed to address these limitations.HBF technology is a new memory layer between ultra-fast memory, HBM and high-capacity storage device, SSD. HBF technology can fill the gap between HBM's high performance and SSD's high capacity and ensure both capacity expansion and power efficiency required for AI inferencing. While HBM handles the high level bandwidth, HBF technology serves as a supporting layer in the architecture.In particular, HBF technology is expected to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) while increasing the scalability of AI systems. The industry forecasts that the demand of complex memory solutions, including HBF, will pick up around 2030.In the AI inference market, the role of a total memory solution company that can provide both HBM and HBF is becoming more important as system level optimization of CPU, GPU, and memory determines the overall competitiveness rather than the performance of a single chip.In line with this, SK hynix and Sandisk are proactively pursuing HBF solution's standardization and commercialization based on their design, packaging and mass production experience in HBM and NAND."The key to AI infrastructure is to go beyond the performance competition of individual technologies and to optimize the entire ecosystem," said, Ahn Hyun, President and Chief Development Officer. "Through HBF technology standardization the company will establish a cooperative system and present an AI-era optimized memory architecture to create new value for customers and partners."

ASUS today announced ASUS Optimized Liquid-Cooling Solutions and a strategic partner framework designed to address the escalating thermal, power, and density challenges of next-generation AI and high-performance computing data centers.ASUS Optimized Liquid-Cooling Solutions for next-generation AI compute densityAs AI and HPC workloads push compute density and power consumption beyond the capabilities of traditional air cooling, optimized liquid-cooling solutions by ASUS will provide the critical thermal management required for the next-generation NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 system based data centers. By efficiently dissipating heat from high-performance CPUs, GPUs, and accelerator-dense racks, ASUS significantly reduces energy consumption, lowers PUE, and optimizes TCO while supporting unprecedented rack density.ASUS Optimized Liquid-Cooling Solutions offer a comprehensive portfolio spanning direct-to-chip (D2C), in-row CDU–based cooling, and hybrid configurations, enabled through collaboration with global infrastructure leaders. Leveraging a strategic framework of partners – including Schneider Electric and Vertiv, alongside precision components from Auras Technology, Cooler Master, and other industry leaders – ASUS provides purpose-built cooling solutions that ensure optimal stability and performance at scale. With 2,156 No. 1 SPEC CPU records and 248 No. 1 MLPerf results, ASUS continues to demonstrate leadership in real-world compute density and AI performance.Real-world deployment: ASUS powers liquid-cooled AI supercomputer at NCHCA flagship example of liquid-cooling expertise by ASUS is its recent deployment for the National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) in Taiwan. The system features a dual-compute architecture, including the Nano4 NVIDIA HGX H200 cluster and NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 system  -  Taiwan's first fully liquid-cooled AI supercomputer deployment of this architecture.Designed and engineered by ASUS from the ground up, the system implements direct liquid-cooling (DLC) technology to achieve an exceptional power-usage effectiveness (PUE) of just 1.18. This deployment seamlessly integrates high performance with sustainable design, demonstrating the strength of ASUS in thermal and energy management for large-scale AI infrastructure.Join ASUS at GTC 2026ASUS announced its participation as a Diamond Sponsor (Booth #421) at NVIDIA GTC 2026 from March 16–19 in San Jose, USA. Under the theme Trusted AI, Total Flexibility, ASUS is collaborating with NVIDIA and global infrastructure giants to showcase a robust, next-generation liquid-cooling ecosystem. Come explore with us and witness the next evolution of AI infrastructure.

Artificial Intelligence Industry Exhibition (hereinafter, AI EXPO KOREA 2026) - the largest AI exhibition in Asia, presenting a comprehensive view of the present and a blueprint for future industries - will be held for three days from May 6 to 8 at COEX Hall A (entire 1st floor) in Samseong-dong, Seoul.First launched in 2018 to foster the domestic AI ecosystem and promote the development and activation of the AI industry, AI EXPO KOREA 2026 marks its 9th edition this year. The event is jointly organized by the Korea Artificial Intelligence Association, Seoul Messe, and AI Newspaper. Over the years, the exhibition has established itself as a leading platform that diagnoses the current state of AI and presents future directions, functioning as a venue where the latest AI technologies and real-world business applications can be directly experienced while relevant information and insights are actively shared.Scenes from AI EXPO KOREA 2025 held last year. Credit: AI EXPO KOREA 2026In particular, it has firmly positioned itself as a practical forum where companies and institutions across diverse industries plan and design strategies in response to the AI era, playing a pivotal role in shaping the domestic AI ecosystem and advancing industrial development. It is widely recognized as the largest and most authoritative AI event in Asia in both name and substance.At the 8th edition held last year, 322 companies and institutions from 18 countries, including the United States and Canada, participated with a total of 544 booths. Over the three-day event, 43,788 visitors and buyers attended, proving its status as a premier standalone AI exhibition. Building on this success, AI EXPO KOREA 2026 is expected to be held on an even larger scale with more diverse content. The organizers anticipate participation from approximately 350 companies from around 20 countries with a total of 600 booths, setting a new record as the largest edition to date.If 2025 marked the era of "thinking machines" driven by generative AI, we are now entering the era of "moving intelligence," namely the age of Physical AI. The AI industry is expected to experience explosive growth centered on AI Agents capable of autonomously performing personalized tasks, increasingly sophisticated and versatile Large Language Models (LLMs), and the powerful AI infrastructure that supports all of these technologies. Furthermore, as AI expands beyond the digital world to directly interact with the physical world through robots, autonomous driving, smart devices, and industrial automation systems, Physical AI is rapidly reshaping the very structure of industries and daily life. AI EXPO KOREA 2026 will spotlight these key trends and provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the forefront of AI technology.Moving beyond simple chatbots, AI Agent technologies that understand user intent and autonomously plan and execute complex tasks are transforming paradigms across industries. In particular, these AI Agents are no longer confined to software environments but are expanding into Physical AI that acts directly in the real world through integration with robotics and autonomous systems. This exhibition will showcase a wide range of AI Agent solutions and real-world applications across fields such as personal assistants, smart home control, industrial automation, customer service innovation, robotics, and autonomous systems. Visitors will be able to directly observe how AI Agents maximize work efficiency and create entirely new user experiences.Represented by LG EXAONE, Solar, A.X K1, OpenAI's GPT series, Google's Gemini, Meta's LLaMA, Hangzhou DeepSeek, and Qwen, LLMs have evolved into multimodal systems capable of generating not only images but also videos, demonstrating increasingly creative and advanced task execution capabilities. These LLMs go beyond simple content generation and, when combined with robotics, serve as the "brains" of Physical AI by directing and controlling physical actions. At AI EXPO KOREA 2026, the latest LLMs developed by leading domestic and international companies, along with various application services and industry-specialized LLM solutions, will be presented through live demonstrations. In particular, in-depth discussions are expected on the ethical use of LLMs, data security, and technologies for model lightweighting and optimization.Above all, establishing AI strategies requires more than simply selecting a model; it demands solutions that can fine-tune models for specific use cases and efficiently manage the substantial costs associated with AI deployment and operation. Accordingly, this exhibition will introduce comprehensive AI infrastructure technologies and solutions, ranging from AI chips and accelerators to storage, AI servers, various edge devices and computing, HPC, cloud, and data centers. Key discussion topics will include robotics computing for the Physical AI era, real-time sensor processing, on-device AI, and low-latency edge infrastructure. On site, a series of solutions and demonstrations will illustrate practical strategies for how AI infrastructure and on-device AI enable AI to interact with our daily lives, industries, and businesses from the perspective of AI convergence and real-world application.In addition, the exhibition will provide a comprehensive overview of core infrastructure technologies and solutions for AI development and operations, including data collection, processing, and analytics platforms, as well as automation tools for AI model training and deployment. Domestic and international semiconductor companies, data center solution providers, and cloud service companies will present their latest technologies, showcasing hardware and software competitiveness for the AI era.Ultimately, AI EXPO KOREA 2026 will go beyond a simple technology and industry exhibition to serve as a venue that presents concrete answers to the business innovations and industrial transformations driven by AI. Participating companies will showcase their AI technologies and solutions to discover new business partners, while visitors will gain the latest information and valuable insights on strengthening competitiveness through AI adoption and securing future growth engines.Detailed information can be found on the official website.

Global Unichip Corp. (GUC), the Advanced ASIC Leader, today announced it has successfully taped-out industry-leading, Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express. (UCIe.) IP, achieving a data rate of 64 Gbps per lane, the highest speed defined in the UCIe specification. The 64G UCIe IP, supporting UCIe 3.0, delivers an impressive bandwidth density of 21 Tbps per 1 mm of die edge (10.5 Tbps/mm full-duplex). This milestone was achieved using TSMC's advanced N3P technology and CoWoS advanced packaging, typically leveraged by AI, high-performance computing (HPC), datacenter and networking applications.To ensure seamless system integration, GUC has developed bridges for AXI, CXS, and CHI buses utilizing the UCIe Streaming Protocol. These bridges are optimized for high traffic density, low power consumption, minimal data transfer latency, and efficient end-to-end flow control – enabling a seamless transition from traditional single-chip Networks-on-Chip (NoC) to chiplet-based architectures. Additionally, the bridges support Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS), allowing real-time voltage and frequency adjustments independently for each die withoutinterrupting data flow.GUC's UCIe IP also features advanced reliability capabilities, including UCIe Preventive Monitoring functionality and integrated I/O signal quality monitors from proteanTecs. This technology enables continuous, mission-mode monitoring of signal integrity during data transmission without the need for re-training or disrupting operations. Each signal lane is individually monitored, with real-time detection of power and signal integrity anomalies. Potential defects in bumps and traces are identified early, triggering repair algorithms that replace marginal I/Os with redundant ones to prevent system failures. This proactive approach significantly extends chip lifespan and enhances system reliability."We are fully committed to delivering the highest performance and lowest power 2.5D/3D chiplet and HBM interface IPs on TSMC's advanced process and packaging technologies," said Igor Elkanovich, CTO of GUC. "The convergence of 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies, leveraging HBM3E/4/4E, UCIe-A, and UCIe-3D interfaces, enables the development of highly modular processors that exceed reticle size limitations, paving the way for the next generation of highperformance computing. Our strong collaboration with TSMC and its Open Innovation PlatformR (OIP) ecosystem is enabling our customers to accelerate time-to-market in today's AI-driven competitive market."Click here for more information.GUC UCIe 64G IP Highlights. Credit:Guc

Tong Hsing Electronic, a global leader in semiconductor assembly and testing services, today announced a strategic collaboration with Singapore-based AI solutions provider SixSense, following a comprehensive market evaluation. The partnership aims to advance Tong Hsing's smart factory initiatives, with an initial focus on AI-driven defect classification (ADC) in manufacturing processes.As semiconductor manufacturing becomes increasingly complex and high-volume, traditional manual defect inspection and classification methods face growing challenges in terms of labor cost, consistency, and efficiency. After evaluating multiple solutions, Tong Hsing Electronic selected SixSense for its strong performance in classification accuracy, deployment flexibility, and seamless integration with existing production systems - aligning closely with the company's long-term digital transformation and smart manufacturing strategy.By adopting SixSense's AI-powered ADC solution, Tong Hsing Electronic look forward to automatically analyzing and classifying large volumes of defect images generated across production lines. This significantly reduces reliance on manual inspection, improves classification consistency, accelerates cycle time, and enables engineering teams to identify and address process issues more effectively.Skid Chiu, Senior Assistant Vice President of Tong Hsing commented:"Reducing labor-intensive steps while maintaining quality is critical for sustainable growth. The adoption of SixSense's AI ADC solution is expected to enable us to optimize resources more effectively while keeping pace with increasing inspection demands."Akanksha Jagwani, Co-Founder & CEO of SixSense, added:"Our goal is to help semiconductor manufacturers scale operations without scaling complexity or cost. The results currently validated by Tong Hsing Electronic Industries also demonstrate how AI can simultaneously reduce labor dependency and improve cycle efficiency in high-volume manufacturing environments."Tong Hsing Electronic emphasized that this collaboration represents more than a system deployment - it marks a key milestone in its smart factory roadmap. Moving forward, both companies plan to deepen their collaboration by expanding AI applications across additional process stages and product lines, further strengthening manufacturing resilience and competitiveness.

QuiX Quantum, a leading provider of photonic quantum computing hardware, and Artilux, a developer of advanced semiconductor-based photonic detector technologies, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).This agreement builds on the companies' complementary strengths in photonic system design and their positions within the broader semiconductor ecosystem. The collaboration is aimed at strengthening hardware integration, improving manufacturability, and lowering operational energy requirements in photonic quantum computing systems.Building quantum hardware for practical environmentsAs quantum computing matures into real-world applications, operating efficiently beyond specialized laboratory environments is becoming increasingly critical. The collaboration focuses on integrating advanced detector components more closely within photonic quantum hardware, enabling meaningful reductions in infrastructure demands. This direction contributes to quantum computing hardware that is increasingly compatible with modern data-center environments and designed with deployability and total cost of ownership in mind.Integration, scalability, and energy efficiencyBy combining Artilux's expertise on germanium silicon (GeSi) photonic technology with QuiX Quantum's system-level photonic quantum computing development, the collaboration seeks to simplify system architecture and reduce detector-level cooling requirements and support infrastructure. This approach improves overall manufacturability and supports QuiX Quantum's objective of delivering high-performance photonic quantum computing hardware in Data Centers and HPC infrastructure, enabling scaling with industry needs.Executive Quotes:Dr.-Ing. Stefan Hengesbach, CEO, QuiX Quantum "We are thrilled to partner with Artilux as this collaboration supports our long-term strategy of building scalable and most energy-efficient photonic quantum computers. This allows us to improve manufacturability, uptime and reduce operational complexity while further expanding practical deployment."Erik Chen, CEO, Artilux "We are excited to collaborate with QuiX Quantum on leveraging our detector technologies to advance and support more energy-efficient and scalable quantum hardware. Partnerships like this help accelerate progress in next-generation photonic computing and underscores our growing role in global deep-tech innovation across multiple industrial sectors."Bas Pulles, Representative of Netherlands Office Taipei "We are pleased to witness the signing of this agreement between two technology pioneers; this agreement exemplifies how international cooperation can accelerate breakthrough technologies and create long-term economic and technological value for both regions."

DesignCon, the United States' premier annual gathering for chip, board, and systems design engineers, returns to the Santa Clara Convention Center from February 24-26, 2026. For over three decades, this flagship Silicon Valley event has served as the essential forum for industry professionals to discover innovative solutions to the most pressing signal and power integrity challenges.As a global leader in semiconductor test sockets, Smiths Interconnect is proud to announce its participation in this prestigious conference and exhibition. We will feature a comprehensive portfolio of our star test products, highlighting solutions engineered for the next generation of technology in AI PCs, Enterprise Data Centres (EDC), automotive electronics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).Spotlight on Innovation: DaVinci Gen V High-Speed Test SocketHeadlining the display will be the DaVinci Gen V High-Speed Test Socket, Smiths Interconnect's latest flagship product. Designed to meet the extreme demands of high-performance computing and AI data centres, the DaVinci Gen V test socket delivers breakthrough high-speed signal transmission and performance. It enables unprecedented digital signaling speeds of up to 224 Gbps PAM4 for AI accelerators and beyond 100 GHz for 6G communications. These speeds are crucial for supporting the growing demand for massive data transfer.The solution supports BGA, LGA, and other package variants, using spring probe technology with a homogeneous alloy and gold plating to ensure better grounding. It delivers RF bandwidth greater than 84 GHz at -1 dB insertion loss, with a short signal path and a 4.90 mm test height. The impedance is tuned to match the system, providing consistent and stable contact resistance of 55 mΩ on average.The design also accommodates high co-planarity and features a tri-temp socket structure capable of operating from -55 °C to +150 °C. The same socket is suitable for manual test, bench test, and high-volume manufacturing (HVM) production test, enabling greater efficiency and consistency across test stages.In addition to high-speed test solutions, Smiths Interconnect will also showcase its high-power burn-in socket, a specialised electromechanical interface designed to temporarily connect a semiconductor device—such as a CPU, GPU, AI accelerator, or high-power discrete component—to a test board during the burn-in and stress-testing phase of manufacturing.It is designed to support next-generation devices with up to 22,000 contacts and sizes up to 150 × 150 mm, while managing power levels of up to 2000 W through integrated liquid cooling. The socket is universally compatible with advanced burn-in chamber platforms and can deliver a 500 lb applied load with a maximum closing force of 15 lb. Flexible thermal options, including passive heatsinks and heat pipes, are also available to meet different testing requirements.This burn-in socket is built for durability and thermal/electrical stability under extreme stress conditions.Attendees are invited to visit Booth 508 to experience Smiths Interconnect's cutting-edge technologies firsthand and engage with technical experts.Credit: Smiths InterconnectCredit: Smiths Interconnect

The "From Shenzhen to Global Opportunity: BIWIN Mini SSD Ecosystem Application Seminar", jointly hosted by BIWIN and Intel, was successfully concluded at the Intel Greater Bay Area Innovation Center in Shenzhen.  The seminar convened leading companies, industry partners, and authoritative media from across the value chain, including but not limited to computing power, advanced packaging, controller solutions, and end-device manufacturing providers. Together, participants gained an early glimpse into BIWIN's Mini SSD ecosystem strategy and engaged in in-depth discussions on industry collaboration and emerging business opportunities driven by AI.On-Device AI Is Redefining Storage Innovations at the EdgeAI is now embedding into edge devices like PCs, wearables, and robots with unmatched depth and reach, sparking revolutionary hardware needs. Storage, the core data foundation, must balance form factor, speed/performance, and power consumption - a critical constraint hindering new terminal designs and major performance jumps.Across the industry, a clear consensus is emerging: the edge-AI revolution must be powered by a fundamental transformation in storage technology. Conventional storage solutions can no longer satisfy the rigid requirements for ultra-compact size, high performance, low power consumption, and flexible scalability. The market is calling for a truly disruptive solution.BIWIN Mini SSD: Reshaping Industry Possibilities with a Ground-Up InnovationIn response to these industry shifts, BIWIN introduced Mini SSD, a product designed from the ground up for next-generation edge platforms. Rather than a simple iteration of existing solutions, Mini SSD represents a complete redefinition of SSD form factors, purpose-built for the future."The explosive growth of edge AI has created the perfect moment for storage innovation," said Rixin Sun, Founder and Group Strategic Advisor of BIWIN, in his opening remarks. "Mini SSD is not only a technological breakthrough for BIWIN, but also a new starting point for co-creating business value with our ecosystem partners."With approximately 40% of the volume of an M.2 2230 SSD and weighing about 1 gram, the Mini SSD delivers flagship-class performance, supporting capacities of up to 2TB and sequential read/write speeds of up to 3,700MB/s and 3,400MB/s. It also features IP68-rated dust and water resistance, 3-meter drop protection, and durability rated for over 12,000 insertion cycles.Its breakthrough design has earned multiple prestigious international awards, including TIME's Best Inventions of 2025 (the only storage product globally selected) and "Best-in-Show" at Embedded World North America 2025.Huilian Wang, Product Director, BIWIN. Credit:BIWINHuilian Wang, Product Director at BIWIN, further elaborated on the product's ecosystem value. Mini SSD is precisely positioned for five key application scenarios, namely ultra-thin notebooks, gaming handhelds, external storage, mobile workstations, and Physical AI devices, providing a new core engine for terminal-side innovation.BIWIN Mini SSD's power ultra-thin laptops, handhelds, external storage, workstations, and Physical AI. Credit:BIWINVertical Integration + Ecosystem Collaboration: Building a Solid Industrial FoundationThe success of Mini SSD is underpinned by BIWIN's strong vertically integrated capabilities and its open, collaborative ecosystem strategy.Internally, BIWIN has established a complete vertical chain spanning IC design, firmware development, and advanced packaging and testing. Greater Bay Advanced Technology Co., Ltd. (GBAT), its wholly-owned subsidiary and also the advanced packaging and manufacturing center, has overcome critical challenges such as 45μm ultra-thin die cracking in advanced packaging, ensuring exceptional reliability and performance.Externally, BIWIN is working closely with leading ecosystem partners to foster an open and mutually beneficial industry environment. As a long-term strategic partner, Intel shared its latest advancements in AI PC technologies. Tao Yan, Client Technology Director, Intel China, noted the strong foundation of cooperation between the two companies and expressed expectations for broader innovation enabled by Mini SSD in the AI PC era.Vertical Integration + Ecosystem Collaboration: Building a Solid Industrial Foundation. Credit:BIWINGlobal controller leaders such as Silicon Motion and Maxio Technology have also collaborated closely with BIWIN to provide powerful performance engines for Mini SSD. On the terminal side, Lin Wang, General Manager of One-Netbook (ONEXPLAYER), the first brand to adopt Mini SSD, shared that the product has become a core differentiator for its offerings. Meanwhile, AI PC solution providers such as Sixunited Intelligent confirmed plans to actively integrate Mini SSD into future product lines to address the surging storage demands driven by AI applications.Open Collaboration, Shared GrowthThis successful seminar marks not only a key milestone in BIWIN's Mini SSD ecosystem strategy, but also signals the industry's collective move into a new era of AI-driven storage.Looking ahead, BIWIN reaffirmed its commitment to openness by sharing product specifications, standardizing interfaces, and working with partners to establish industry alliances. Leveraging 32-die stacking packaging technology, 4TB and higher capacity Mini SSD variants are already on the roadmap, promising even higher performance and larger storage options.From defining a breakthrough product to building an open ecosystem, BIWIN is steadily transforming Mini SSD from a single innovation into a scalable industry standard. Through continuous technological advancement, open interface standards, and deep scenario enablement, BIWIN will work alongside global partners to convert the vast potential of edge AI into tangible commercial value, accelerating the arrival of the next era of AI hardware.Seminar marks BIWIN's Mini SSD milestone and a new AI-driven storage era. Credit:BIWIN

The online gaming landscape is evolving rapidly, shaped by cutting-edge technologies and innovative formats. As we look ahead, it's crucial to understand how these changes impact player experiences and market dynamics. This article examines key trends driving the transformation of gaming entertainment.As of January 2026, online gaming continues to captivate audiences worldwide, becoming a cornerstone of digital entertainment. Emerging trends are reshaping this dynamic landscape, offering players novel ways to engage with their favorite games. One significant development is the increasing interest in games that offer thrilling and potentially rewarding experiences, such as progressive jackpot slots. In this fast-paced digital era, understanding these trends is essential for both players and industry stakeholders who aim to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving market.Technological Advancements Change Gaming EnvironmentsThe role of technology in enhancing gaming experiences cannot be overstated. Innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) are at the forefront, creating more immersive and interactive environments for players. AI-driven algorithms personalize game recommendations, adapting to individual preferences and improving player satisfaction. Meanwhile, VR technology transports users into lifelike game worlds, offering unprecedented levels of engagement and realism.These technological breakthroughs are not merely enhancing gameplay; they are redefining what players expect from their gaming experiences. As you explore these new realms, you'll notice how seamless integration of AI and VR heightens the sense of immersion and engagement. The potential for further innovation remains vast, promising even more sophisticated gaming landscapes that captivate and challenge players in exciting ways.New Gaming Formats Change Player EngagementIn recent years, new gaming formats have emerged, captivating audiences with fresh approaches to gameplay. These formats often emphasize social interaction and collaboration, appealing to a diverse range of players seeking unique experiences. As these formats gain traction, they alter how players engage with games, fostering communities that thrive on shared adventures and challenges.For many players, these innovations offer a chance to connect with others in meaningful ways, enhancing the social aspect of gaming. Whether through cooperative missions or competitive tournaments, new formats provide opportunities for camaraderie and competition alike. As you dive into these engaging worlds, the evolution of player expectations becomes clear, demanding more interactive, community-driven content that keeps pace with technological advancements.Economic Implications and Growth Prospects in GamingThe evolving trends in online gaming have significant economic implications for the industry at large. With technological innovations driving new possibilities, the market is poised for substantial growth in the coming years. Industry stakeholders must adapt to capitalize on emerging opportunities while navigating potential challenges posed by rapid change.The market is expected to expand as companies invest in cutting-edge technologies and diversify their offerings. This growth presents lucrative possibilities for developers, investors, and entrepreneurs looking to enter or expand within the sector. By staying informed about current trends and anticipating future shifts, you can position yourself advantageously within this thriving industry.

SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has achieved record financial results in 2025 – 97.1467 trillion won in revenue, 47.2063 trillion won in operating profit (with an operating margin of 49%), and 42.9479 trillion won in net profit (with a net margin of 44%).The results significantly exceeded the previous record set in 2024. The annual revenue increased by more than 30 trillion won while the annual operating profit nearly doubled year-on-year, marking the highest annual performance in the company's history.Growth momentum accelerated further in the fourth quarter. In addition to HBM, demand on conventional memory solutions for servers increased sharply, to which SK hynix responded proactively. As a result, the company achieved record-high quarterly performance across all three indicators, with revenue rising 34% to 32.8267 trillion won, operating profit surging 68% to 19.1696 trillion won, and operating margin reaching 58% quarter-on-quarter.SK hynix emphasized that 2025 marked a year in which the company once again demonstrated its world-class technological leadership. In response to an AI-centric demand structure, the company secured both growth and profitability by enhancing technological competitiveness and expanding its portfolio of high value-added products.In the DRAM segment, HBM revenue more than doubled year-on-year, making a significant contribution to the company's record performance. Conventional DRAM entered full-scale mass production of 1cnm process, or the sixth-generation of the 10-nanometer technology. The company also solidified its leadership in server modules, with the development of the 256GB DDR5 RDIMM - a high capacity server module based on 32Gb fifth-generation 10nm-class (1b) DRAM.For the NAND business, despite sluggish demand in the first half, the company completed its development of 321-layer QLC products. SK hynix also achieved the highest annual revenue on record, responding to customer demand centered on eSSD in the second half.The company noted that as the AI market shifts from training to inference while demand for distributed architectures expands, the role of memory will become increasingly critical. Accordingly, not only demand for high-performance memory such as HBM is expected to grow continuously, but also for overall memory products including server DRAM and NAND as well.In response, SK hynix plans to further strengthen its proven quality, technological leadership and mass-production capabilities, based on the customer trust it has secured as the only industry player capable of stably supplying both HBM3E and HBM4 simultaneously. In particular, having successfully completed the preparation stages to mass produce HBM4 - for the first time in the industry - in September last year, the large-scale production of the next-generation HBM has been underway to meet customer requests, the company said.The company also sets to maintain its HBM4 leadership while strengthening customer and partner collaboration to supply optimized products in 'Custom HBM', which continues to gain traction as a key differentiator.For conventional DRAM, SK hynix intends to accelerate the transition to the 1cnm process, expanding its AI memory product portfolio to include solutions like SOCAMM2 and GDDR7. For NAND, the company plans to maximize product competitiveness by transitioning to 321-layer technology, while actively addressing AI data center storage demand by leveraging Solidigm's QLC eSSD.SK hynix stated that it will prioritize meeting customer demand amid supply-demand imbalances by reinforcing partnerships. To this end, the company plans to maximize production capacity of the M15X fab in Cheongju at an early stage. The company also intends to secure stable mid-to-long-term production capabilities through the construction of the first fab in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster.The construction of the advanced packaging facilities in Cheongju and Indiana, the U.S., are also progressing smoothly. This enables the company to establish integrated global manufacturing capabilities spanning front-end and back-end processes, having able to respond flexibly to changes in customer demand.Meanwhile, backed by record-high financial performance, SK hynix announced a large-scale shareholder return program to enhance shareholder value.The company will deliver an additional dividend of 1 trillion won, equivalent to 1,500 won per share. Combined with the regular quarterly dividend of 375 won, the year-end dividend will total 1,875 won per share, bringing total dividends for FY2025 to 3,000 won per share, or 2.1 trillion won in aggregate.SK hynix also plans to cancel 15.3 million treasury shares (approximately 12.2 trillion won based on the closing price on the 27th) equivalent to 2.1% of total shares outstanding, signaling a long-term commitment to enhance per-share value and shareholder returns.Song Hyun Jong, President and Head of Corporate Center, said that SK hynix will continue to generate sustainable performance growth while maintaining the optimal balance between future investment, financial stability and shareholder returns, based on the company's technological edge. "We will strengthen our role not merely as a product supplier, but as a core infrastructure partner in the AI era, enabling customers to meet their AI performance requirements."4Q25 Financial Results (K-IFRS). Credit: SK hynixFY2025 Financial Results (K-IFRS).Credit: SK hynix