SK hynix broke ground on an advanced memory-packaging facility and AI memory research center at Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana, as U.S. government pressure and demand from Big Tech customers accelerate American semiconductor investment by SK hynix and Samsung Electronics. The Indiana site will stack, interconnect and test DRAM dies made in Icheon and Yongin, South Korea, rather than fabricate wafers, with its cleanroom targeted to open by October 2028 and HBM4E volume production scheduled for the third quarter of 2029 on a project valued at more than $4 billion. Chairman Chey Tae-won confirmed during South Korea-Japan business meetings in Sendai that the company is evaluating locations across Japan for a potential memory manufacturing facility, saying it is looking anywhere with good power and good water, while a person familiar with the matter said it could pursue a small acquisition, joint venture or co-investment. SK hynix already holds roughly 14% of Kioxia Holdings, and CEO Kwak Noh-Jung said the firm is reviewing joint NAND flash development with customers and partners as global memory shortages are expected to persist through 2030. According to Counterpoint Research, SK hynix captured 58% of global HBM revenue in the first quarter of 2026; Seoul-listed shares have surged 157.14% in 2026 and 522.3% over the past year.