Micron Plans $10B US Memory Research Center

According to Micron Technology, the company plans to invest $10 billion over the next 10 years to establish a large-scale dedicated memory research laboratory, which will become the first specialized memory research center in the United States.

Micron announced on August 20 that it will build the next-generation research facility, named the “Micron Research Laboratory,” in Boise, Idaho, where the company is headquartered. The laboratory will bring together hundreds of researchers and focus on addressing data processing challenges driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), while pushing beyond the theoretical limits of next-generation semiconductor technologies.

The research center will focus on several key areas, including advanced memory technologies, high-performance computing architectures, advanced semiconductor packaging, and future semiconductor manufacturing processes. Micron aims to use the laboratory as a hub for collaboration across the semiconductor ecosystem, connecting customers, academic institutions, government agencies, and startups.

Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said the company’s investment will play a critical role in determining leadership in the future AI economy. He noted that the future of AI in the United States will rely on memory technologies developed and manufactured domestically.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also expressed support for Micron’s initiative, stating that memory technology is a key foundation of America’s technological advantage. He added that the establishment of the country’s first dedicated memory research laboratory and the $10 billion R&D investment will strengthen U.S. innovation capabilities and create hundreds of high-quality jobs.

Micron’s major research investment highlights the intensifying competition among Micron, Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix for leadership in the global memory market. According to Counterpoint Research data, Samsung Electronics ranked first in the global DRAM market by revenue share in the second quarter of this year with 39%, followed by SK hynix at 26% and Micron at 25%.

In the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market for AI accelerators, SK hynix currently maintains a leading position, while Samsung Electronics and Micron continue to expand their presence. In the first quarter, SK hynix accounted for 58% of HBM revenue share, significantly ahead of Samsung Electronics and Micron, which each held 21%.

However, competition is becoming increasingly intense as Samsung Electronics took an early lead by beginning mass production and shipments of HBM4 in February. Meanwhile, SK hynix and Micron are also accelerating efforts to expand HBM4 production capacity, intensifying the race for next-generation AI memory technologies.