[News] Kioxia Reportedly Plans JPY 1T+ NAND Fab in Japan, Operations Eyed for 2029 or Later

Memory makers are expanding capacity to capitalize on the ongoing memory upcycle. According to Nikkei, sources say Kioxia Holdings plans to build a new NAND flash production facility at its plant in northern Japan, with investment expected to exceed JPY 1 trillion (US$6.27 billion).

As the report notes, Kioxia President Hiroo Ota said at an investor briefing in June that discussions on a new facility were underway, with operations targeted for 2029 or later. The company has reportedly already approached some suppliers, including equipment manufacturers, about purchases for the new facility.

The new facility would be the third building at Kioxia’s Kitakami plant in Iwate Prefecture. Bloomberg adds that the facility will produce the company’s latest NAND flash products for AI data centers, with sample shipments of its 10th-generation products having begun in July. Sources cited by Bloomberg said Kioxia is expected to formally announce its capacity expansion plan on the evening of August 27.

Kioxia and its partner SanDisk also plan to seek subsidies from the Japanese government. Bloomberg notes that Kioxia President Hiroo Ota and SanDisk CEO David Goeckeler are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that afternoon. According to Nikkei, the project is also expected to receive support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The planned investment would mark a notable step forward in Kioxia’s expansion strategy. According to Bloomberg, while the company expects AI to drive stronger demand for NAND used in long-term storage applications such as servers, it has remained cautious on capital spending given the risk of a market downturn. Kioxia plans approximately JPY 450 billion in capital investment for the fiscal year ending March 2027, up about 60% from the previous year, while maintaining an annual average of around JPY 470 billion over the three years starting this fiscal year.

Kioxia’s Expansion Could Reshape NAND Competition and Supply

As noted by Global Economic News, Kioxia’s NAND expansion could have a direct impact on the global memory semiconductor value chain. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which lead the high-capacity enterprise SSD (eSSD) market, may face growing pressure to accelerate advances as Kioxia expands its NAND capacity with Japanese government support.

At the same time, Kioxia’s planned fab, involving more than JPY 1 trillion in investment, could increase the risk of oversupply and put further pressure on NAND prices and profitability, particularly if global IT demand weakens, Global Economic News points out. The scale of Japanese government subsidies and the fab’s actual completion date remain key variables.

According to TrendForce, Kioxia ranked fourth among NAND Flash suppliers by revenue in 2Q26. Supported by persistently high NAND Flash prices and continued growth in BiCS8 output, its revenue surged 79.9% QoQ to approximately US$10.72 billion, while its market share edged down to 13.6%.

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• [News] Kioxia Steps Up AI NAND Competition With South Korean Rivals, Eyes PCIe 6.0 and UFS 5.0 Mass Production

(Photo credit: Kioxia)