Micron To Pour $10 Billion Into US Hub To Invent Post-DRAM AI Tech
Micron has announced a $10 billion commitment over the next decade to establish Micron Research Labs, a long-horizon research institution headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The new hub is designed to look well beyond today's standard DRAM and NAND memory roadmaps, targeting post-DRAM architectures, advanced packaging, and next-generation compute systems engineered specifically for future AI workloads.
The $10 billion investment is entirely separate from Micron’s broader $250 billion commitment to domestic manufacturing and R&D. While neighboring Boise fabs handle high-volume commercial production, Micron Research Labs will focus on the broader semiconductor ecosystem in pursuit of breakthrough technologies, the company says.
"The decisions we make today will determine who leads the AI economy of tomorrow, and America's AI future will be built on American-made memory," said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology.
"With a planned $10 billion investment in Micron Research Labs, we are looking around the corner to the memory and compute systems the future will demand, bringing together the best minds across academia, government, startups and industry," Mehrotra added.
Beyond the main Idaho site, the planned investment will fund university collaborations, global satellite labs, and joint research projects with startups, government agencies, and semiconductor industry partners.
The latest financial commitment is another signal that Micron sees AI sticking around for the long haul. That much was made obvious when it disbanded its consumer-facing Crucial division to focus on the more lucrative data center segment. While an unpopular move in the consumer space, that decision has been well-received by investors, with Micron's share price skyrocketing from around $226 at the time of the announcement to a high of just over $1,213 this summer (shares are currently trading at around $974).
"For nearly 50 years, from four people in a Boise basement to America's memory leader, Micron has pushed the boundaries of what memory can do," said Scott DeBoer, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Products Officer at Micron Technology. "Micron Research Labs gives that legacy a dedicated home for long-horizon innovation, the kind of research that sits upstream of every product we build."
