Kioxia Corporation and Sandisk Corporation have unveiled plans to invest more than $31 billion, or approximately ¥5 trillion, in Japan through 2032, marking one of the largest long-term commitments in the global memory semiconductor industry. Subject to government support, the investment aims to reinforce the partners’ decades-long leadership in NAND flash memory while supporting growing demand from artificial intelligence and data-intensive applications.

The announcement extends one of the technology sector’s most enduring joint ventures. Over the past 25 years, Kioxia and Sandisk have invested more than $50 billion in Japan and have jointly driven advancements in NAND flash memory technology.

Major Capacity Expansion Planned

The planned investments will support the continued buildout of manufacturing and related infrastructure at Kioxia’s Yokkaichi Plant and Kitakami Plant. In addition, the companies will invest in technologies designed to maintain a stable supply of advanced flash memory products while enabling meaningful multi-year production growth.

As AI adoption accelerates across industries, demand for high-capacity storage solutions continues to rise. Consequently, both companies are positioning their operations to provide the scale, reliability, and performance required by next-generation computing environments.

The investment program is intended to strengthen the joint venture’s long-term competitiveness while supporting the development of leading-edge flash memory technologies.

AI Demand Drives Long-Term Strategy

Kioxia President and CEO Hiroo Ota emphasized the importance of flash memory in supporting the evolving AI ecosystem.

“This joint investment further strengthens our longstanding partnership with Sandisk and underscores Kioxia’s strong commitment to contributing to the advancement of an AI-driven society,” said Ota.

He added that the company remains focused on meeting demand for high-capacity, high-performance, and power-efficient flash memory technologies, which are increasingly essential for AI-driven applications.

Meanwhile, Sandisk Chairman and CEO David Goeckeler highlighted the strategic value of the partnership and its role in supporting customer requirements worldwide.

“For decades, Sandisk and Kioxia have jointly developed world-class NAND flash memory technology,” said Goeckeler. “These planned investments will ensure our ability to support our customer’s increasing demands for our technology, while providing new economic opportunities for the communities we operate in and serving as a premier example of U.S.-Japan economic collaboration.”

Strengthening U.S.-Japan Technology Cooperation

The investment initiative aligns with the Japanese government’s economic policy objectives, which prioritize advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain resilience. The announcement also reflects the strengthening technology and economic relationship between Japan and the United States.

Earlier this year, Kioxia and Sandisk extended the framework governing their Yokkaichi Plant joint venture through December 2034. The partnership, which spans more than a quarter century, covers the development and manufacturing of flash-based memory wafers.

Looking ahead, the companies said the new investment program will support AI-enabled smart manufacturing capabilities, ensuring stable production of advanced 3D flash memory technologies and reinforcing their position at the forefront of the global memory market.

28 August 2026