Samsung Electronics unveiled an expanded artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor ecosystem strategy and its next-generation foundry roadmap at its SAFE Forum 2026, signaling a broader push to strengthen its position in the global AI chip value chain.
The company held the Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE) Forum on July 1 at its Seocho headquarters in Seoul, bringing together more than 400 customers and partners from across the semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem. SAFE is Samsung’s ecosystem program designed to enhance collaboration with fabless companies, IP providers, EDA firms, and packaging solution partners.
At the event, Samsung emphasized its ambition to evolve beyond a traditional foundry manufacturer into a comprehensive “AI semiconductor platform provider,” integrating manufacturing, design optimization, and ecosystem collaboration to better serve the rapidly growing AI and high-performance computing (HPC) markets.
In a keynote speech, Shin Jong-shin, Executive Vice President of Samsung Foundry’s Design Platform Development Team, said the company would strengthen cooperation with global AI and HPC customers while expanding SAFE as a key collaboration hub for the semiconductor industry. He added that Samsung aims to enhance its role not only as a production base but also as a platform driving Korea’s system semiconductor ecosystem.
Samsung also presented its advanced technology roadmap, highlighting efforts to improve design technology co-optimization (DTCO) and accelerate development of its next-generation 2-nanometer process node. The company said these innovations are aimed at optimizing semiconductor performance for AI workloads while improving power efficiency and design flexibility for customers.
A key focus of the presentation was high-speed SRAM technology, which is increasingly critical for AI chip performance. While SRAM offers faster data processing than DRAM, its larger cell size and complex architecture make large-scale integration challenging. Samsung outlined plans to strengthen competitiveness in this area to support next-generation AI semiconductor applications.
The forum also featured participation from 21 ecosystem partners across electronic design automation (EDA), intellectual property (IP), design solutions, virtual design platforms, and advanced packaging. Exhibitions showcased solutions designed to support Samsung’s foundry customers in AI chip development, including 2.5D and 3D chip design technologies.
Major partners, including AI chip startup Rebellions and Siemens EDA, shared collaboration case studies. Rebellions CEO Park Sung-hyun said the company developed its “Rebel-100” neural processing unit (NPU) using Samsung’s 4nm process and advanced packaging technologies, and expressed intentions to further expand collaboration in sovereign AI development.
Industry observers view Samsung’s latest SAFE Forum announcements as a strategic move to reposition its foundry business amid intensifying global competition. By integrating advanced process technology such as 2nm nodes with ecosystem-driven collaboration, Samsung is seeking to differentiate itself from rivals and strengthen its role in the rapidly expanding AI semiconductor market.
However, analysts also note that execution will be critical, particularly in securing stable customer demand and converting ecosystem partnerships into tangible production orders in an increasingly competitive foundry landscape.
