At its 2026 Partners Day, SK hynix announced it will provide upfront funding for up to 50% of suppliers’ initial research and development costs. The program is intended to help partners pursue new technologies by sharing development risks. SK hynix will pay the R&D costs even if a project is not commercialized or does not lead to a purchase order.
SK hynix will also give suppliers access to its production lines for testing and verification. The company is doubling its supplier payment support fund, from 50 billion won to 100 billion won, to help improve cash flow. The measures aim to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem as demand for advanced chips, including AI chips, grows.