Samsung to spend $73bn on facilities, R&D this year in AI chip race

(Sharecast News) - Samsung on Thursday unveiled details of its so-called 'corporate value enhancement' strategy, which includes plans to spend over $73bn on facilities and R&D this year in an effort to grab the market leader position in AI chips. The plan, approved by the South Korean tech giant's board this week, has been designed to "secure leadership in the AI semiconductor era as the world's only semiconductor company capable of delivering a one-stop solution encompassing memory, foundry, and advanced packaging", the company said in a statement.

Samsung also wants to secure a leadership position in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market and strengthen its product competitiveness through improved investment efficiency, the statement said.

Korean peer and fellow Nvidia supplier SK Hynix Inc is currently the market leader in the HBM market, while TSMC has already announced capex plans totalling $50bn this year.

As part of its plan, Samsung wants to reorganise the enterprise structure towards more "future-oriented businesses driven by AI innovation", including AI and advanced robotics.

By doing so, it hopes to secure mid-to-long-term growth momentum and bolster shareholder return policies.

Some KRW110trn ($73.3bn) will be spent on chip facilities and R&D in 2026, while the company plans to pursue M&A opportunities in growth sectors such as advanced robotics, medtech, automotive electronics and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning).