SK hynix to Support Up to 50% of Partners’ Initial R&D Costs, Expanding Mutual-Growth Cooperation

[Financial News] SK hynix is further strengthening its mutual-growth cooperation with partner companies in materials, components and equipment, building on a 25-year partnership framework. As semiconductor competition intensifies in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the company plans to solidify its “one-team” partnership with suppliers and lay the foundation for shared growth over the next 25 years through a new mutual-growth model.
SK hynix said on the 29th that it held the 2026 Partners Day with its partner companies on the 28th. This year’s event was given greater significance to mark the 25th anniversary of the Partner Growth Council and served as an opportunity to reflect on the value of mutual growth built over the years. The Partner Growth Council is a consultative body operated by SK hynix to strengthen partnerships with outstanding materials, components and equipment suppliers.
SK hynix expressed its gratitude to the partner companies that have provided steadfast trust and support despite the rapidly changing semiconductor industry environment. The company also shared the mutual-growth model and detailed support programs it has prepared for the next 25 years.
The event was attended by SK hynix’s senior executives and working-level leaders, including CEO Noh-Jung Kwak, Cha Sun-yong, head of the Future Technology Research Institute and chief technology officer (CTO), and Lee Byung-ki, chief production officer (CPO). Representatives from about 100 companies, including members of the Partner Growth Council and outstanding partner companies in various fields, also attended and reaffirmed their solidarity as a “one team” built with SK hynix.
Kwak said, "SK hynix has been able to grow into a global company leading the AI era because we have served as each other’s steadfast support from our respective positions over the past 25 years." He added, "Let’s open a new 25 years of greater growth by exploring the future together on the foundation of the trust we have built so far."
At this year’s Partners Day, SK hynix presented a shared-growth vision designed to carry forward the 25-year journey it has made with its partners and open up greater possibilities over the next 25 years. The company divided its partners’ growth cycle into four stages—technology development, testing and validation, mass production, and sales—and plans to continue strengthening support programs tailored to each stage through a corresponding mutual-growth model.
During the technology development stage, SK hynix will select and nurture promising partner companies as technology innovation companies and provide the intellectual property and samples needed for development. It will also establish an “R&D Challenge Reward Program.” The program provides up to 50% of initial development costs in advance and settles the remaining amount afterward based on technical achievements and contributions, even if development fails or does not lead to a purchase. The initiative is intended to reduce financial burdens and share losses resulting from failure, allowing partner companies to pursue technology development more ambitiously.
During the testing and validation stage, SK hynix will provide testbeds where partner companies can demonstrate and validate their technologies. The Analysis and Measurement Support Center will conduct precision analyses and reliability assessments, while a performance evaluation program will test the companies’ products on SK hynix’s actual production lines to verify yield and reliability. In addition, the company is building Trinity Fab, a process demonstration facility covering approximately 3,300 square meters (1,000 pyeong) within the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, with an opening targeted for 2027. Once Trinity Fab is operational, partner companies will be able to directly validate their technologies in a mass-production-level process environment that would be difficult to secure independently. They will also be able to identify and address potential problems before applying the technologies to production lines.
During the mass-production stage, SK hynix will help partner companies invest in facilities and secure production capacity. The company will provide the necessary funds at low interest through its Partner Growth Fund and expand its partner-company consulting program to second- and third-tier suppliers to help address management challenges together. At the sales stage, it will continue operating its mutual-growth payment system and double the delivery-payment support fund from KRW 50 billion to KRW 100 billion, focusing on stabilizing the flow of funds.
SK hynix said, "The capabilities of our partner companies are the most important factor determining SK hynix’s technological competitiveness." It added, "We will strengthen our partners’ competitiveness through a growth-cycle-based mutual-growth model and use that foundation to build a sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in Korea."


[email protected] Lim Su-bin Reporter