Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong reportedly visited Taiwan on May 21 to meet MediaTek CEO Cai Lixing. The visit appears aimed at persuading the chip designer to shift its semiconductor manufacturing from TSMC to Samsung Foundry. A Taiwanese publication reported that the executive traveled with a high-level entourage for this stealth trip.
Reported stealth trip aims to secure Dimensity-class mobile SoC manufacturing contracts.
Samsung is reportedly offering MediaTek preferential access to its memory chips as an incentive for the business deal. The company wants to secure contracts for upcoming Dimensity-class mobile system-on-chips and potential AI processors. This strategy positions Samsung to compete directly with TSMC for MediaTek's advanced node orders.
MediaTek currently relies on TSMC for its chip fabrication, but industry sources suggest relations between the two companies are already strained. The potential switch would represent a significant shift in the mobile semiconductor supply chain and reduce MediaTek's dependence on a single foundry provider.
Samsung has not confirmed the details of the meeting or any formal agreements with MediaTek. Reports describe the visit and the proposed memory chip incentives as unconfirmed business maneuvers rather than official corporate announcements.
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