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Samsung reports record $25.6B spent on R&D in 2025

Published: 10 Mar. 2026, 21:34

The logo of Samsung is seen at the Samsung Electronics building in southern Seoul on July 5, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it spent a record 37.7 trillion won ($25.6 billion) on research and development (R&D) in 2025 as part of its push to gain an early lead in the global race for next-generation AI chips.

The amount represented a 7.8 percent increase from the previous year's 35 trillion won, the company said in an annual business report.

Samsung Electronics said the massive investment was part of the company's strategy to pre-emptively cope with booming demand for AI semiconductors, including high bandwidth memory (HBM) and high-capacity DDR5 chips.

At the same time, the company funneled 52.7 trillion won into facility investment last year, 5 trillion won more than its earlier investment plan. The money was used to build future-generation semiconductor facilities, including the NRD-K complex, a semiconductor R&D hub at its Giheung campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi.

Samsung said it plans to make continued efforts to meet customer demand for sixth-generation HBM4 chips in 2026.

The company said it shipped its first batch of mass-produced HBM4 chips last month, becoming the first in the industry to do so.

Yonhap