Fujitsu Joins SoftBank-Led AI Memory Development
Fujitsu has officially joined a next-generation AI memory development project led by SoftBank Group. The participation of Fujitsu, once a core company in Japan’s semiconductor industry, raises hopes for the revival of Japanese memory technology.
Project Overview
Development is centered around a new company called “Saimemory”:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Lead | SoftBank Group |
| Participants | Fujitsu, Intel, University of Tokyo |
| Support | Japanese Government, RIKEN |
| Commercialization Target | FY2027 |
| Mass Production | FY2029 |
Technical Features
The next-generation memory under development aims to compete with the currently dominant HBM (High Bandwidth Memory):
- 50% Power Reduction - Significantly lower power consumption compared to conventional HBM
- Intel Technology - Utilizing advanced memory technology from Intel
- University of Tokyo Partnership - Collaboration with domestic research institutions
Why Domestic Memory Now?
The rapid proliferation of AI and supercomputers has caused explosive growth in demand for high-performance memory. While the current HBM market is dominated by South Korea’s SK hynix and Samsung, Japan’s entry could change the competitive landscape.
Japan led the global semiconductor memory market in the 1980s, but expertise was dispersed as private companies withdrew from production. This project aims to reassemble that technology and talent.
SoftBank’s Strategy
SoftBank’s CEO positioned next-generation memory technology development as “infrastructure supporting an AI society” in the company’s New Year message. The company is pursuing several parallel initiatives:
- AI-RAN - Integration of AI and radio access networks (with Fujitsu)
- Sovereign Cloud - Cloud services in collaboration with Oracle
- Next-gen Memory - Enhancing AI data center performance
Looking Ahead
Development will accelerate toward commercialization in FY2027. If successful, this could contribute to both solving AI data center power issues and reviving Japan’s semiconductor industry.