Seoul: SK hynix Inc. allocated 6.7 trillion won (US$4.4 billion) to research and development in 2025, driven by surging demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) products, as the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom continues, data revealed on Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this substantial investment underscores the South Korean chipmaker's strategic efforts to strengthen its position in the global AI infrastructure market. The company's R and D spending in 2025 marks a significant 35 percent increase from the 4.9 trillion won recorded in 2024, as per its regulatory filing on the Financial Supervisory Service's system.

The surge in R and D expenditure occurred alongside SK hynix's record-breaking earnings, fueled by robust global demand for chips, particularly from the AI infrastructure segment. In 2025, SK hynix reported an unprecedented annual operating profit of 47.2 trillion won, surpassing its competitor Samsung Electronics Co. for the first time. This profit figure represents more than a twofold increase compared to 2024.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics invested a record 37.7 trillion won in R and D activities in 2025. SK hynix is anticipated to further enhance its HBM business this year, potentially setting new records in earnings.

In January, industry sources indicated that SK hynix was selected to supply approximately two-thirds of the HBM4 chips required for Nvidia Corp.'s Vera Rubin AI platform, despite Samsung Electronics initiating the world's first commercial shipment of HBM4 last month.