SBI Denies Report on Negotiations with SK Hynix and UMC for Japan Chip Plant

SBI Holdings (8473.T) has refuted a report from the Nikkan Kogyo newspaper that suggested the company was in talks with South Korea’s SK Hynix (000660.KS) and Taiwan’s UMC (2303.TW) to collaborate on a chip manufacturing plant in Japan’s Miyagi prefecture. A spokesperson for the financial firm clarified on Friday that the report was inaccurate.

According to the Nikkan Kogyo report, which did not specify sources, SBI was purportedly negotiating partnerships with SK Hynix for back-end DRAM processes and UMC for chips intended for the automotive sector. However, SBI has firmly denied these claims, stating that no such discussions are taking place.

Earlier, in September, SBI announced it was dissolving its joint venture with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (6770.TW). The companies had previously been working toward securing government subsidies to build a foundry in northern Japan. Following the dissolution of this partnership, SBI indicated that it would explore potential collaborations with other firms in the semiconductor industry.