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2d ago

Kioxia Commits More Than ¥1 Trillion to Expand Kitakami 3D NAND Capacity

Japan-backed expansion aims to serve rising AI and cloud storage demand and could prompt regulatory scrutiny over shifting NAND market shares.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a meeting with Sandisk Corporation CEO David Goeckeler and Kioxia Corporation CEO Hiroo Ota at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, August 27, 2026. Kioxia Holdings plans to build a new facility for memory production at its Kitakami Plant in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture. The investment expected to exceed 1 trillion yen will be made with manufacturing partner Sandisk. Franck Robichon/Pool via REUTERS REFILE - REMOVING "AHEAD OF THEIR MEETING".
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses with Sandisk Corporation CEO David Goeckeler and Kioxia Corporation CEO Hiroo Ota ahead of their meeting at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, August 27, 2026. Kioxia Holdings plans to build a new facility for memory production at its Kitakami Plant in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture. The investment expected to exceed 1 trillion yen will be made with manufacturing partner Sandisk. Franck Robichon/Pool via REUTERS
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Overview

  • Kioxia said it will invest more than ¥1 trillion to build a new manufacturing building at its Kitakami campus to increase production of advanced 3D NAND flash for AI and cloud data centers.
  • The company has already begun sample shipments of its 10th-generation, 332-layer BiCS FLASH from Fab2, though full-scale production timing will depend on Kioxia's market evaluation.
  • SK Hynix, which holds an indirect roughly 14.19% stake in Kioxia via a Bain Capital vehicle, said it is exploring deeper NAND co-development with Kioxia while keeping no fixed plans on its shareholding.
  • Kioxia and SanDisk (Western Digital) outlined plans to invest more than $31 billion in Japanese NAND capacity through 2032, and those plans are conditional on further government support and long-term customer contracts.
  • The moves could shift global market share among the five major NAND suppliers, affect local jobs and supply for AI infrastructure, and invite review from regulators watching concentration in the memory sector.