Intel hires former SK hynix chief Lee Seok-hee to lead advanced packaging - The Economic Times

Intel has appointed former SK Hynix and SK On CEO Lee Seok-hee as a senior vice president in its foundry business, focusing on advanced packaging and system integration. This move underscores Intel's ... Read original →

Intel’s recruitment of ex-SK hynix CEO Lee Seok-hee is a surgical strike for leadership in advanced packaging—not just a personnel move. As AI system bottlenecks shift from transistor scaling to interconnect density, heterogeneous integration technologies like EMIB-T and HBI become decisive. Lee’s HBM mass-production experience positions Intel to accelerate chiplet-based system integration, directly challenging TSMC’s CoWoS dominance and its pricing power. Geopolitically, this reduces reliance on East Asian OSAT hubs, aligning with U.S. CHIPS Act supply chain resilience mandates. Expect TSMC and Samsung to fast-track FOPLP and X-Cube, while Taiwan, China’s packaging sector faces widening tech gaps. Within 18 months, advanced packaging will evolve from a backend function into a core strategic asset—if Intel leverages its Foundry 2.0 model to unify IP, fabrication, and integration, it could redefine AI chip competition.