The American giant Intel and Saimemory, a subsidiary of SoftBank, have formalized a major collaboration to commercialize Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) technology. This project aims to break the monopoly of current DRAM leaders by 2029 thanks to this new technology. The RAM industry is undergoing a historic shift. While Samsung and SK Hynix dominate the high-performance memory (HBM) sector, a new US-Japan partnership is emerging. Intel and Saimemory have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to industrialize a technology called Z-Angle Memory (ZAM), designed specifically to meet the energy and bandwidth requirements of AI data centers. The technological legacy of the AMT project At the heart of this alliance lies the transfer of know-how from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) program. Intel validated a key technology there: Next Generation DRAM Bonding (NGDB), designed to reduce power consumption and increase DRAM performance. Developed in collaboration with Sandia and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, NGDB enables direct interconnection between the processor and memory, eliminating performance losses associated with traditional soldering methods. Sainmemory will build the commercialization of ZAM on this technical foundation, promising high storage density and reduced power consumption. An ambitious industrial timeline The roadmap is now clearly defined for both partners. Development will revolve around two key milestones: 2028: Creation and testing of the first functional ZAM chip prototypes. 2030: Launch of commercialization and large-scale production for high-performance computing infrastructures. A matter of technological sovereignty For SoftBank, this project goes beyond mere commercial success. By partnering with Intel to create a "homegrown" (national) technology in Japan, the group seeks to strengthen the archipelago's global competitiveness in the face of Korean hegemony and the rise of China. If ZAM lives up to its promises of reducing power consumption while increasing processing speed for training AI models, Intel could succeed in its gamble: to regain its position as the master of memory standards, forty years after leaving the sector. The American giant Intel and Saimemory, a subsidiary of SoftBank, have formalized a major collaboration to commercialize Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) technology. This project aims to break the monopoly of current DRAM leaders by 2029 thanks to a new technology. The RAM industry is undergoing a historic shift. While Samsung and SK Hynix dominate the high-performance memory (HBM) sector, a new US-Japan partnership is emerging. Intel and Saimemory have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to industrialize a technology called Z-Angle Memory (ZAM), designed specifically to meet the energy and bandwidth requirements of AI data centers. The Technological Legacy of the AMT Project At the heart of this alliance lies the transfer of expertise from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) program. Intel validated a key technology there: Next Generation DRAM Bonding (NGDB), which aimed to reduce energy consumption and increase DRAM performance. Developed in collaboration with Sandia and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, NGDB enables direct interconnection between the processor and memory, eliminating the performance losses associated with traditional soldering methods. It is on this technical foundation that Saimemory will build the commercialization of ZAM, promising high storage density and reduced energy consumption. An Ambitious Industrial Timeline The roadmap is now clearly defined for both partners. The development will be structured around two key stages: 2028: Creation and testing of the first functional ZAM chip prototypes. 2030: Launch of commercialization and large-scale production for high-performance computing infrastructures. A matter of technological sovereignty For SoftBank, this project goes beyond mere commercial success. By partnering with Intel to create a "homegrown" (national) technology in Japan, the group seeks to strengthen the archipelago's global competitiveness in the face of Korean hegemony and the rise of China. is experiencing a historic turning point. While Samsung and SK Hynix dominate the memory sector unchallenged.