Cristiano Amon, the Chief Executive of leading chip designer Qualcomm, is currently in South Korea, holding crucial meetings with senior executives from Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and LG Electronics. This strategic visit underscores Qualcomm’s aggressive expansion into the data center artificial intelligence (AI) business and its imperative to secure robust memory supply chains. Amon reportedly arrived in Korea earlier this week.
According to informed industry sources on Tuesday, Amon was scheduled to meet Han Jin-man, Samsung’s President and Head of Foundry Business. Discussions are centered on the advanced production of Qualcomm’s next-generation application processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, utilizing Samsung’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer manufacturing process.
Highlighting the ongoing collaboration, Amon had previously stated at CES 2026 in January that Qualcomm initiated discussions with Samsung regarding 2nm contract manufacturing, confirming that the chip design itself was already complete.
Furthermore, Amon was anticipated to engage with executives at SK hynix on Tuesday to address critical memory supply considerations. Qualcomm is significantly broadening its technology portfolio, extending beyond its traditional smartphone focus into key growth areas such as automotive semiconductors, the Internet of Things (IoT), on-device AI, and more recently, high-growth data center AI inference solutions.
Industry experts emphasize that Qualcomm is proactively seeking to secure stable and diverse memory supplies, a pivotal step in preparation for its ambitious data center expansion. These discussions are expected to encompass a wide spectrum of memory products, including high bandwidth memory (HBM), SOCAMM, and LPDDR.
In a separate and equally significant engagement, Amon was slated for a closed-door meeting in Seoul with LG Electronics CEO Ryu Jae-cheol and other key LG executives. The agenda for these discussions is anticipated to explore deepened cooperation in “physical AI,” a burgeoning and strategically important growth sector for Qualcomm.
Qualcomm showcased its vision for physical AI extensively at CES 2026, presenting a comprehensive lineup of platforms. This included its innovative Dragonwing IQ10 robotics processor, alongside advancements in automotive AI and humanoid systems, clearly signaling its firm commitment to pioneering robotics and embodied AI technologies.
The two technology giants, Qualcomm and LG, boast a long-standing collaboration, initially partnering in LG’s mobile business and subsequently expanding their joint ventures into diverse areas such as advanced audio products and critical automotive components.
