Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is set to visit South Korea again, marking his second trip to the country in six months.
According to sources in the semiconductor industry on Nov. 8, Gelsinger is visiting South Korea on Nov. 9 after stops in Taiwan and Japan. Gelsinger embarked on an East Asia business trip to attend the Intel Innovation 2023 event in Taipei, Taiwan. He will subsequently visit Japan and South Korea in succession to hold meetings with partner companies.
There is speculation within the semiconductor industry that Gelsinger will meet with the executives of Samsung Electronics. It is anticipated that he could discuss cooperation measures for next-generation semiconductors and memory products with Presidents Kyung Kye-hyun and Lee Jung-bae. There is also keen interest in whether a meeting with Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, will materialize. In May 2022, CEO Gelsinger visited Samsung Electronics’ Seocho district office in Seoul to meet with Chairman Lee. Accompanied by executives from both companies, they brainstormed cooperation measures on topics such as next-generation memory, system semiconductors, foundry, and PC/mobile divisions.
Although there has not been another meeting between CEO Gelsinger and Chairman Lee since then, they have continued to maintain cooperation with the management of Samsung Electronics. In December of the previous year, CEO Gelsinger met with President Kyung and Kim Woo-june, president of the Network Business at Samsung Electronics’ DX Division. This May, he also had a meeting with Roh Tae-moon, President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ MX Division.
Samsung Electronics and Intel, while competing for the top spot in the semiconductor industry, maintain a close collaborative relationship. Intel, leading the CPU market, is also a significant customer of Samsung Electronics’ Memory Business Division. For Samsung Electronics, which is developing next-generation memory including Double Data Rate (DDR) 5, enhancing CPU compatibility is crucial.
The competition extends to other sectors as well. Not only in terms of industry sales but also in the foundry business, the rivalry is fierce. Samsung Electronics is hot on the heels of Taiwan’s TSMC, and Intel has declared its intention to strengthen its foundry sector. David Zinsner, Intel’s senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), said in a webinar for investors and analysts in June, “We expect to be the second-largest foundry operator by 2024, with manufacturing revenue exceeding US$20 billion, based on internal volume.”
This news highlights the ongoing dynamics in the semiconductor industry, where collaboration and competition often go hand in hand, especially among industry leaders like Samsung Electronics and Intel.