Samsung Electronics unveiled plans to expand consolidation across Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor ecosystem and its strategy for next-generation foundry technology. Centered on its SAFE program, which consolidates customers with design and packaging partners, the company aims to strengthen its role as a platform for Korea's system semiconductor industry.
Samsung Electronics on the 1st hosted the SAFE Forum 2026 at Samsung Electronics' Seocho building in Seocho-gu, Seoul. SAFE is short for Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem, Samsung Electronics' foundry ecosystem program. This year's theme is "The Nexus for Silicon Intelligence."
Shin Jong-shin, head of design platform development at Samsung Electronics' Foundry Business, said in a keynote address, "Samsung Electronics will raise its capability to meet AI demand while using the SAFE Forum to communicate actively with customers and partners." He added, "While moving in earnest to work with global AI and high-performance computing (HPC) customers, we are also strengthening cooperation with domestic system semiconductor customers," and, "We will go beyond foundry production to reinforce our role as a platform for the domestic system semiconductor industry."
About 400 people from customers and partners attended the event. Twenty-one corporations in electronic design automation (EDA), intellectual property (IP), design solution partners (DSP), virtual design partners (VDP), and advanced packaging (MDI) set up booths to showcase solutions that support Samsung Electronics' foundry customers.
AI fabless companies Rebellions and EDA company Siemens EDA also took the stage as speakers. The two companies presented cases of developing AI Semiconductor using Samsung Electronics' foundry processes and ways to support 2.5D and 3D chip design.
Rebellions CEO Park Seong-hyeon said, "Based on Samsung Electronics' 4-nanometer foundry process and advanced packaging, we developed the 'Rebel100' Neural Processing Unit (NPU)," adding, "We will work together in the AI Semiconductor space to build sovereign AI." Sovereign AI refers to a strategy to reduce technological dependence on specific countries or corporations and to secure control over a country's own data and algorithms.
Jean-Marie Brunet, senior vice president at Siemens EDA, said, "For 2.5D and 3D heterogeneous chip integration, broad support across Production yield, design verification, reliability, and packaging is essential," adding, "Siemens EDA will help customers rapidly realize AI and HPC semiconductors by leveraging Samsung's leading-edge processes."
Samsung Electronics also presented process and design innovation strategies to meet AI Semiconductor demand. It unveiled DTCO (Design Technology Co-Optimization), next-generation 2-nanometer processes, and process innovation directions tailored to AI semiconductors.
It also introduced ways to strengthen competitiveness in static RAM (SRAM) technology. SRAM is a volatile memory that retains data while power is supplied and processes faster than DRAM. Samsung Electronics said it is improving power, performance, and area competitiveness through its DTCO strategy and high-performance SRAM technology, and supporting AI Semiconductor customers in developing next-generation products.
It also announced plans to build a domestic system semiconductor ecosystem. Samsung Electronics is participating in the Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) alliance led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The Foundry Business is pursuing the development of low-power, high-performance On-device AI semiconductors needed in automobiles, home appliances, robots, and defense.
Through its multi-project wafer (MPW) program, Samsung Electronics is reducing the early development burden on domestic fabless corporations. MPW produces multiple types of semiconductor products on a single wafer to support prototyping and verification.
It is also taking part in next-generation semiconductor research and development and talent training programs. Samsung Electronics is participating in the K-CHIPS program operated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, the Korea Planning&Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT), and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association to broaden Korea's semiconductor technology base.
Samsung Electronics sees the ability to build an ecosystem that consolidates design, IP, and packaging—not just advanced processes—emerging as the core of foundry competitiveness as the AI Semiconductor market expands. The company plans to continue cooperation with customers, partners, and the government centered on the SAFE and MPW programs.