From Memory to Physical AI: Korea's Largest Chip Show Opens This Week

South Korea's largest semiconductor exhibition opens this week at its biggest scale yet, offering a single view of where the country's chip industry stands and where it is heading. Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK hynix (000660.KS) will unveil next-generation memory technologies for artificial intelligence, while domestic companies display capabilities spanning chip design, advanced packaging and physical AI semiconductors used in humanoid robots.

The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association said on the 12th that SEDEX 2026, the 28th Semiconductor Exhibition, will run for three days from the 14th to the 16th at COEX in Seoul's Gangnam district. Held under the theme "Into the Era of Silicon Intelligence," the show will feature 888 booths from 300 companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. That is about 70 more companies and 230 more booths than last year, making it the largest edition to date.

The main draw is next-generation memory technology for the AI era. As global investment in AI infrastructure expands, chips that improve data processing speed and power efficiency are becoming more important. That has pushed comprehensive competitiveness — combining memory technology with system chips and advanced packaging — to the center of industry discussion.

Samsung Electronics will present "AI System Design" as its core message, unveiling high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and next-generation three-dimensional memory technology. The company will also introduce a range of system chips, including mobile image sensors, processors and automotive semiconductors. It plans to highlight its technological capabilities for the AI era through integrated chip solutions covering memory, foundry services that handle chip design and contract manufacturing, and advanced packaging.

SK hynix will build its exhibition hall around the theme "An AI Journey That Keeps Moving Forward." Its featured technologies are HBM4E, the seventh generation of HBM, and high-bandwidth flash (HBF), a next-generation memory technology. HBF raises data processing bandwidth using NAND flash as its base and is drawing attention as a candidate to meet the AI systems' demand for handling large volumes of data. The company will also display core products including DRAM for servers, PCs and mobile devices, along with NAND flash and solid-state drives (SSDs).

Materials, components and equipment makers that underpin the industry's competitiveness will turn out in force. In chip design, ASICLAND, Chips&Media and OPENEDGES Technology will showcase their capabilities. Dongjin Semichem and MiCo will represent materials and components, while Jusung Engineering (036930.KS), SEMES and PSK will appear in the equipment category. In back-end processing and inspection, Hanmi Semiconductor (042700.KS) and EXICON will present the technological capabilities of the domestic chip ecosystem.

Another focus is the spread of AI technology into the physical world, including robotics. On opening day, An Hyun, president of SK hynix, will deliver a keynote address on the direction of memory innovation in the AI era. Shin Dong-ju, chief executive of Mobilint, will speak on the chip technologies required for the physical AI era, and Park Seung-bae, a professor at the State University of New York, will present on future computing technologies.

The exhibition will also host an international conference on advanced packaging research and development, a seminar on the semiconductor market outlook, and a global standards forum organized by JEDEC, the semiconductor standards body. On the final day, the 16th, a separate session will address semiconductors for humanoid robots — a look at how the use of AI chips is extending beyond data centers to robots and industrial sites.

The event also includes programs aimed at securing future talent for the industry. A job fair running for two days from the 15th will bring together 18 semiconductor companies and 433 job seekers. Attendees are expected to be able to explore key technologies and individual companies' business areas while also looking for employment opportunities.

"Semiconductors are the core foundation supporting an era in which AI extends into the physical world," said Park Gun-soo, vice chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association. "We hope students and job seekers who will lead the future chip industry will also visit the venue and see the era of silicon intelligence firsthand."