Samsung Electronics will start offering China-based SemiDrive automotive memory chips. As China has partly banned US-based Micron's products sold in China, whether South Korean-based companies will gain more opportunities accordingly has attracted the industry's attention.
According to South Korean The Elec and Newswave, SemiDrive and Samsung recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The pair will further collaborate for automotive semiconductors to support the chip demand stemming from cars becoming more intelligent and the development of automotive electronics.
An internal combustion engine vehicle requires about 200 to 300 chips, while a self-driving car or an EV needs over 2,000.
SemiDriving is an emerging automotive chip company in China that has built a reputation for its smart cockpit technology. It also develops autonomous driving technology, central gateways and high-performance MCUs.
The company has seen its chips enter mass production and supply over 260 customers. SemiDrive's solutions support more than 80% of the carmakers in China. Foreign automakers like Nissan, Honda and Volkswagen also use the company's chips.
With the tension between China and the US, China implemented a security check on Micron in March 2023. It said the US technology did not pass the inspection and has banned some key companies from buying Micron's products since May. At that time, the US government and Congress requested South Korean companies not to fill the vacancy left by Micron. Therefore, the timing of Samsung and SemiDrive becoming strategic partners drew South Korean companies' notice.
