A consortium of Chinese chipmakers, led by Huawei Technologies and supported by the Chinese government, is set to produce high-bandwidth memory (HBM) semiconductors by 2026, essential for AI chip development, as reported by The Information on Thursday. This initiative is a direct response to create domestic counterparts to Nvidia’s AI chips and began last year, involving companies like Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit, which, like Huawei, faces U.S. sanctions.
The collaboration extends to other local semiconductor producers and packaging technology developers, aiming to integrate these memory chips with AI processors and motherboards designed by Huawei.
Requests for comment from Huawei and Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit to Reuters remained unanswered at the time of the report.
China’s strategic investments in its semiconductor sector in recent years aim to diminish reliance on foreign technologies and navigate around U.S. export restrictions that hinder access to advanced chips, including those from Nvidia. Although HBM chips themselves are not directly subject to U.S. export bans, their production involves American technology that Huawei is prohibited from using under these restrictions.
According to The Information, the consortium has established at least two HBM production lines, sourcing memory chips from various companies to foster a competitive environment internally. Huawei is expected to be the primary purchaser of these HBMs.
