South Korea’s SK Hynix announced a colossal 19 trillion won (~$12.9 billion) investment to build an advanced chip packaging factory, aiming to meet surging demand for AI-related memory chips. Construction starts in April 2026 with completion by end of 2027, which means a wave of hiring for construction engineers, semiconductor equipment installers, and later, highly trained technicians to run the plant. Because this facility will focus on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) – critical for AI applications – it highlights a shifting skills demand in hardware engineering: expertise in chip packaging and 3D chip-stacking technology will be coveted. As AI drives up memory needs, companies like SK Hynix are investing in capacity, creating new jobs and specialization in the semiconductor workforce.