이 기사는 2021년 10월 14일 08시02분 thebell에 표출된 기사입니다

South Korean chipmaker SK hynix is strengthening its presence in the global market. The company has secured a production base in China and is expanding its investment in all business areas including DRAM and NAND flash chips and foundry.

The chipmaker is also tapping the U.S. market by acquiring Intel’s NAND flash business and Key Foundry. It announced in the first half that it will invest around 1 trillion won ($837 million) to build a research and development center in Silicon Valley.

SK hynix plans to invest a total of 2 billion yuan ($310 million) together with a Chinese company to create a semiconductor industrial complex in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, industry sources said on Tuesday.

The Korean company has joined the local government's 30.3 billion yuan project in an effort to strengthen cooperation with local companies and communities, as well as improve its supply chain.

The Korean chipmaker has not disclosed details about its investment, but the investment will not be used to expand its existing plant there. The investment reportedly will be used to support the Chinese semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment ecosystem given that the company is operating its fab facilities there.

SK hynix has expanded its business in China with support from the Chinese government. It has SK hynix Semiconductor China, SK hynix System IC Wuxi, and SK hynix Semiconductor Chongqing as its Chinese subsidiaries.

In addition, the company established SK hynix Semiconductor Dalian earlier this year following its deal to acquire Intel's NAND flash business, which includes Intel's NAND flash chip plants in Dalian.

SK hynix is expected to expand its production base for NAND flash in the country after the acquisition. The chipmaker announced at the beginning of this year that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese city of Dalian to strengthen its relationship with the city and seek new investment in the region.

SK hynix also continues to invest in the DRAM sector. The company established its Chinese subsidiary, SK hynix Semiconductor China, based in Wuxi and has manufactured DRAM chips since 2006. It upscaled its existing C2 fab to C2F in 2019.

SK hynix also lent 3.3 trillion won ($2.8 billion) to its Chinese entity after its expansion of production facilities in Wuxi. It lent about 774.7 billion won to its Chinese entity this year, with the balance of loans standing at around 2.8 trillion won, according to its semi-annual report.

The company is also expanding its foundry business there. SK hynix System IC, a foundry subsidiary of SK hynix, established its operating entity Hystars Semiconductor (Wuxi) jointly with the Wuxi government in 2019, and is currently building a foundry line. SK hynix is pushing for the complete relocation of its M8 foundry facility in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, to Wuxi by the end of this year. (Reporting by Hye-ran Kim)