As reported by Nikkei Asia, despite efforts by suppliers to boost DRAM production, manufacturers are anticipated to fulfill merely 60 percent of the global demand by the close of 2027. The chairman of SK Group has even predicted that these shortages could persist until 2030.
The world’s leading memory producers—Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron—are actively working to expand their manufacturing capabilities. However, significant additions to their production facilities are unlikely to commence operations before 2027 or even 2028. In fact, SK has inaugurated a new facility in Cheongju as of February, marking the sole production enhancement planned among these giants for 2026.
According to Nikkei, to satisfy demand, production must grow by 12 percent annually in 2026 and 2027. Yet, Counterpoint Research indicates that only a 7.5 percent increase is in the pipeline.
The upcoming facilities are largely geared towards producing high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI data centers. With the focus shifting towards HBM over the standard DRAM used in everyday electronics, it’s uncertain how much this expansion will ease the escalating costs affecting consumer gadgets. The RAM shortage has already led to price hikes across a variety of products, including phones, laptops, VR headsets, and gaming devices.
