Micron Technology is doubling down on automotive AI chips, signing multiyear supply agreements with major industry players including Hyundai Mobis, Harman and Qualcomm.
The US memory chip-maker said Thursday it has signed strategic customer agreements with seven automotive technology partners: Qualcomm, Visteon, Harman, Joynext, Denso, Astemo and Hyundai Mobis.
"As vehicles become increasingly intelligent, memory and storage are critical enablers of technology experiences that consumers demand," said Micron Chairman Sanjay Mehrotra.
"These SCAs with leading automotive technology partners will help ensure that advanced vehicle platforms have the memory and storage capabilities required to deliver richer, safer and more intelligent experiences."
Unlike conventional long-term agreements that are typically renewed annually, SCAs are understood to lock in supply volumes and prices for periods of three to five years, giving both chipmakers and customers greater visibility amid tightening memory supply.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon underscored the importance of high-performance compute and memory in the era of software-defined vehicles.
"We work closely with automakers and Tier 1 suppliers to deliver advanced digital cockpit, driver assistance and connectivity solutions designed to support new capabilities over long vehicle lifecycles," Amon said.
Harman’s inclusion in the agreements is particularly notable. Samsung Electronics acquired the US automotive technology company in 2017 but has continued to allow it to operate independently.
Harman CEO Christian Sobottka said the agreement would help establish the resilient memory and storage foundation needed for reliable support of increasingly intelligent, software-defined vehicle platforms.
Hyundai Mobis CEO Lee Gyu-suk similarly emphasized that long-term supply arrangements would improve business planning and help build a more resilient automotive supply ecosystem.
Micron, one of the world’s three largest memory chip-makers alongside Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, is also the only US-based producer of high-bandwidth memory. When reporting its fiscal third-quarter results last month, the company said it had secured 16 strategic customer agreements.
The deals come as competition intensifies in automotive memory.
Samsung overtook Micron last year to become the market leader for the first time since entering the segment in 2015, according to S&P Global Mobility.
Samsung’s share rose to 40 percent from 35 percent in 2024, while Micron’s fell to 36 percent from 40 percent, driven by Samsung’s low-power DRAM and universal flash storage sales to Chinese electric-vehicle makers.
SK hynix is also expanding its automotive portfolio. Its LPDDR5X received ASIL-D certification in January, and the company unveiled automotive LPDDR6, Auto UFS 3.1, eMMC 5.1 and vehicle SSDs at Mobile World Congress in March.
herim@heraldcorp.com