Samsung Expects Foundry Customer Base to Quadruple by 2029

Samsung Electronics expects the number of customers in its semiconductor foundry business to reach roughly four times its 2017 level by 2029, as the company broadens its focus beyond mobile chips and increases its exposure to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Noh Mi-jung, a senior vice president in Samsung's foundry business, presented the forecast Tuesday at Korea Premium Week 2026. She said the customer base has already grown to about three times the level recorded when Samsung established the foundry operation as an independent business unit in 2017. The company now expects another step up over the next three years.

The projection is tied to a planned change in Samsung's business mix. Mobile products have been central to the foundry portfolio, but the company is seeking more customers that require chips for AI and high-performance computing, commonly known as HPC. Those applications typically demand advanced manufacturing technology and are becoming increasingly important as investment in AI infrastructure expands.

HPC represented only 5 percent of Samsung's foundry business in 2017, according to figures disclosed at the event. Its share has since risen to 28 percent, and Samsung expects it to reach 66 percent by 2029. Noh said HPC customers are expected to make up more than half of the customer base by then, while the segment should also account for well over half of foundry sales.

Samsung also outlined a manufacturing roadmap intended to support that transition. The company aims to begin mass production using its third-generation 2-nanometer process in 2028. It plans to follow with mass production on a 1.4-nanometer process in 2029. Smaller process nodes are a central part of the competition among leading contract chipmakers seeking orders for advanced computing products.

The company is also moving ahead with its semiconductor complex in Taylor, Texas. Samsung plans to start initial operations at the first fabrication plant at the site by the end of 2026. Construction of a second fabrication plant is expected to begin within the year, with mass production targeted for 2030.

The targets show Samsung pairing customer diversification with investments in advanced processes and overseas manufacturing capacity. Reaching the projected customer and sales mix will depend on converting growing demand for AI and HPC chips into foundry orders while bringing the planned production lines into operation on schedule.