News
Samsung Electronics records 37.7 trillion won R&D spend to meet AI memory demand
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Samsung Electronics reached record research and development spending of 37.7 trillion won (approximately $25.6 billion) in 2024, representing a 7.8% increase over 2023. This investment was driven by the necessity to advance high-end memory technologies for AI infrastructure. Additionally, the company allocated 52.7 trillion won toward capital expenditures for new manufacturing facilities and equipment during the same period.
Context
In a strategic push to reclaim leadership in the AI-driven memory market, Samsung Electronics reported a record-high research and development (R&D) expenditure of KRW 37.7 trillion (approx. $25.6 billion) for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 7.8% increase over the previous year, as the company aggressively targets the growing demand for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) used in advanced AI accelerators. Alongside this R&D surge, the firm allocated KRW 52.7 trillion toward capital expenditures for new plants and equipment, reinforcing its manufacturing scale against rivals SK Hynix and Micron.
The investment pivot comes as Samsung seeks to narrow the gap with SK Hynix, which has dominated recent supply cycles for HBM3E. By early 2026, Samsung has successfully transitioned to mass production of industry-first HBM4 using its 6th-generation 10nm-class DRAM and 4nm logic process. This massive capital injection is critical as the global memory market enters a projected supercycle, with industry analysts forecasting the HBM segment alone to reach $54.6 billion by 2026.
Sources (11)
[PDF] 2024 Business ReportSamsung Electronics Announces Fourth Quarter and FY 2024 Results – Samsung Global Newsroom2026 Market Outlook: SK hynix's HBM to Fuel AI Memory BoomSK Hynix Expands HBM4 Sales, AI Core Supplier Micron Stock Is Riding the AI Surge. How the Memory Trade Could Turn Sour.<!-- --> - Barron'sScaling the Memory Wall: The Rise and Roadmap of HBMSamsung, SK Hynix, and Micron work to block memory hoarding — prices might rise faster, but it could help encourage increased supply long term | Tom's Hardware[PDF] Announcement of Capex Result for FY 2024
Related Companies
SK Hynix
000660
Micron
MU
Samsung Electronics
005930