Samsung SDS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province at CES 2026, the world's largest information technology exhibition, to begin construction of a large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data center. The agreement marks both parties' formal announcement of a mid-to-long-term cooperation framework centered on the AI industry, and is expected to serve as a decisive turning point for Gumi City's ongoing efforts to build a "Gumi-style AI industrial ecosystem."
According to Gumi City on Wednesday, the agreement signed in Las Vegas on Tuesday local time represents the first official step in implementing Samsung SDS's investment plan for a Gumi AI data center, which the company disclosed on January 2.
The core of the agreement calls for Samsung SDS to build a "hyperscale AI data center" with approximately 60 megawatts of capacity in the Gumi National Industrial Complex No. 1 by 2032. Hyperscale refers to ultra-large data centers capable of operating at least 100,000 servers. Samsung SDS has left open the possibility of further expansion depending on market conditions, meaning the investment scale could grow.
The Gumi AI data center will be equipped with cutting-edge AI semiconductors including high bandwidth memory (HBM), providing differentiated computing capabilities. This infrastructure is expected to serve as a key driver supporting digital competitiveness across mobile, manufacturing and service sectors. Gumi City expects the center to generate significant synergies through its connection to Samsung Electronics' Gumi facility, a production base for Galaxy AI smartphones, as well as the region's strong materials and components manufacturing capabilities centered on its semiconductor specialized complex.
The investment is expected to mark a turning point for Gumi, the heartland of Korea's traditional manufacturing industry, to be reborn as a "manufacturing AI hub." Gumi, the largest inland manufacturing complex with five national industrial complexes, generates vast amounts of quality manufacturing data daily. Gumi City's plan is to drive fundamental innovation in manufacturing through an "AI transformation" that analyzes this data with AI technology and reintegrates it into production processes.
Accordingly, Gumi City plans to establish a system for securing and sharing data centered on regional specialized industries and accelerate the development of an AI transformation model for manufacturing through AI autonomous manufacturing demonstrations. The city also plans to attract high-level IT talent needed for data center operations and actively implement customized AI talent development programs in partnership with local universities.
"Signing this AI data center investment agreement with Samsung SDS on the global stage of CES is a symbolic moment that demonstrates the direction and execution capability of Gumi's industrial transformation," Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho said. "We expect Gumi to emerge as a central city for future industries based on AI infrastructure."