SK Square, SK Telecom, and SK Hynix announced the launch of the SK ICT Alliance to jointly develop and invest in ICT convergence technology and promote global advancement at CES 2022, the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA.
The three SK ICT companies will continue to promote joint projects in the global market in various ICT fields such as semiconductors, 5G and AI based on SK Square's innovative investment, SK Telecom's 5G∙AI technology, and SK Hynix's semiconductor future innovation technology. policy.
From January this year, SK Square, SK Telecom, and SK Hynix will operate a "synergy council" led by Vice Chairman Park Jeong-ho and participated by President Yoo Young-sang and Lee Seok-hee. It is the highest decision-making body that discusses R&D cooperation and joint investment in the semiconductor and ICT fields at home and abroad and promotes global advancement.
The first result of the SK ICT Alliance is the entry into the global market of SAPEON, the first AI semiconductor for data centers in Korea. Through joint investment of the three companies, SAPEON Inc., a US corporation, was established to target the global AI semiconductor market in earnest.
SK Telecom plans to increase the SAPEON model lineup exclusively for data centers and autonomous driving in the mid to long term by leading the development of SAPEON technology based on R&D capabilities and service experience accumulated in 5G and AI fields.
SK hynix will promote synergy between memory semiconductor technology and AI semiconductor, and SK Square will jointly attract strategic investors with SK Telecom.
SAPEON Inc. will serve as an outpost for expanding the AI semiconductor business with major US-based global big tech companies as its main customers.
SK Telecom anticipates that future ICT services will become a world where AI and metaverse are fused, and plans to innovate the three major services of T universe, ifland, and AI agent.
Following smartphones, the company plans to introduce new services that have never existed before by adding advanced Connected Intelligence to UAM, autonomous vehicles, and robots, which are future devices that will lead the next 10 years.
"We will actively respond to changes caused by technological innovation in AI, metaverse, and 5G fields to create the first year of preparation for the next 10 years of the SK ICT alliance," said Yoo Young-sang, president of SK Telecom.
The three SK ICT companies are planning to set up a base for overseas investment this year and create a global ICT investment capital of over 1 trillion won by attracting investment from foreign investors.
The global ICT investment capital raised is expected to be used for companies with innovative technologies in AI, metaverse, block chain, and semiconductor fields.
“The SK ICT Alliance will work together to create a year of great leap forward and innovation in the global market," said Park Jeong-ho, Vice Chairman of SK Square. "With pride in leading the global semiconductor and ICT industry, SK will be reborn as a company that contributes to the national economy of Korea.”
