Kioxia and Sandisk tighten cooperation

Kioxia Corporation and Sandisk Corporation have announced an extension of their collaboration within the joint manufacturing venture at the Yokkaichi plant. The decision means the partnership, which has lasted for over 25 years, will continue for another 8 years. This constitutes one of the pillars of global 3D flash memory production. Both companies declare that further cooperation is to ensure stable production of advanced memory chips, particularly in the context of growing demand generated by the development of generative artificial intelligence. The agreement utilizes solutions in the field of AI-supported smart manufacturing and economies of scale. The new terms also include Kioxia's Kitakami plant. The agreement for this factory has been synchronized with the Yokkaichi agreement and will also remain in effect until the end of 2034. A component of the agreement is SanDisk's financial commitments to Kioxia. The American company will pay a total of 1.165 billion dollars for manufacturing services and supply continuity. Payments will be made in installments between 2026 and 2029. Both companies announce further joint development work on 3D flash memory and investments adjusted to the market situation. The goal is to strengthen their competitive position and maintain a significant role in the global semiconductor memory sector