Summary：**SK Hynix CEO sees worst memory shortage in 2027, demand to outstrip supply beyond 2030** *SK Hyni

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**SK Hynix CEO sees worst memory shortage in 2027, demand to outstrip supply beyond 2030**
*SK Hynix Chief Executive Kwak Noh‑jung warned that the global memory industry faces its most severe supply crunch in 2027, with demand projected to exceed available capacity well into the next decade.*

### Introduction
During a press briefing at the company’s Seoul headquarters, Kwak Noh‑jung outlined a sobering forecast for the DRAM and NAND markets. He said that, unless significant capacity expansions occur, the sector will encounter its worst‑ever shortage in 2027, a gap that could persist past 2030 as emerging technologies drive relentless appetite for memory chips.

### Key Developments
The CEO cited three primary forces tightening the supply‑demand balance:

1. **AI‑driven workloads** – Generative AI models and large‑scale language processors are consuming unprecedented volumes of high‑bandwidth memory.
2. **Data‑center expansion** – Hyperscale operators continue to add servers at a double‑digit annual rate, boosting demand for both DDR5 DRAM and enterprise‑grade NAND.
3. **Geopolitical constraints** – Export controls on advanced semiconductor equipment and lingering fab‑construction delays in key regions are limiting new capacity additions.

Kwak noted that SK Hynix’s own capex plan aims to add roughly 30 % more wafer starts by 2026, but even that increase may fall short of the projected surge.

### Industry Analysis
Analysts agree that the memory market is entering a period of structural tightness. Historically, cyclical downturns have allowed inventories to absorb demand spikes; however, the current AI boom is shifting the baseline upward. A recent IHS Markit study estimates that global DRAM bit demand could reach 1.2 exabytes per month by