• 2 min read
Huawei may build its own DRAM empire
Reports say Huawei could control 11 semiconductor fabs, including DRAM plants tied to SwaySure, as it pushes for self-supplied AI memory.
Image: TechRadar
Huawei may be edging toward a position that even Apple, Intel, and Nvidia do not hold: making its own CPUs, SSDs, and DRAM under one umbrella. According to claims compiled by Block & Files, the company is allegedly building and operating DRAM fabrication plants in China through a joint venture with Shenzhen-based SwaySure, despite Huawei denying the arrangement exists.
If true, the effort would give Huawei effective control over at least 11 semiconductor fabs and make it the closest large-scale parallel to Samsung, the only major tech company currently operating across chip design, fabrication, and memory at this breadth.
Huawei, SwaySure, and the 11-fab claim
The reported link is not new. Financial Times connected Huawei to SwaySure in 2025, publishing satellite images of an advanced chip production line and citing state financial backing for the facilities.
The report argues that Huawei’s latest push is driven by sanctions. With US export controls limiting access to advanced silicon and especially High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), Huawei appears to be trying to secure a captive supply for its Ascend AI chips.
The Semiconductor Industry Association estimated Huawei is receiving $30 billion in state funding from China’s central government and Shenzhen to build its chip network. A separate estimate from 2019 put Huawei’s lifetime state support at US$75 billion.
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The article also points to US government actions as indirect evidence. Entity List designations by the Bureau of Industry and Security suggest investigators see several of these firms as operating as one network, even if the structure is obscured through state-backed fronts.
How far Huawei still trails Samsung
Even if Huawei is moving into DRAM, the company still has ground to make up. Samsung reportedly holds a 3–4 year lead in HBM over China’s CXMT, though the gap in conventional DRAM is narrower and closing faster. In NAND flash for SSDs, Chinese suppliers have reportedly reached relative parity.
Huawei also still depends on SMIC to manufacture its CPU and GPU designs, using a process said to be roughly two nodes behind industry leader TSMC. So while Huawei designs chips, it does not yet fabricate them itself.
That makes this less a completed transformation than a strategic attempt to remove reliance on suppliers exposed to Washington’s sanctions. If the reported DRAM buildout is real, Huawei could emerge as the first serious challenger to Samsung’s fully integrated model.
Enterprise Editor
Marcus follows the money. He covers enterprise software, cloud architecture, and the tectonic shifts in Big Tech strategy. He translates dense earnings calls and complex M&A activity into actionable insights about where the industry is actually heading. If a tech giant makes a silent pivot, Marcus is usually the first to notice.
via TechRadar
