US memory giant Micron Technology on Saturday broke ground on the expansion of its factory in Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture, a ¥1.5 trillion ($9.3 billion) undertaking to produce advanced memory chips, Bloomberg reported.
The Boise, Idaho-based company is building the facility in Hiroshima Prefecture to make chips such as high-bandwidth memory crucial for AI processors like Nvidia’s, with shipments to start around the summer of 2028. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has allocated up to ¥500 billion to help cover the cost.
The move is part of a global ramp up by memory-makers to meet relentless demand for artificial intelligence. Micron is building two leading-edge fabs in Boise and in January held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $100 billion production site outside Syracuse, New York, part of a pledge to increase DRAM production on American soil. South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are also boosting manufacturing capacity. Meanwhile, Chinese memory maker CXMT, is preparing for what is set to be one of the biggest IPOs in Chinese history.
Micron Technology Inc.’s factory in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, JapanSource: Micron Technology Inc.“Micron’s very first HBM production wafer — for the memory technology at the heart of AI — was made right here in Hiroshima,” Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said during a ceremony attended by central and local government officials. “When American boldness meets Japanese craftsmanship, you do not get a compromise. You get the best in the world.”
The factory e
