Foxconn Expands from Apple Partner
to Leading Force in AI with SoftBank Collaboration
Ohio Data Center Project Marks New Era for Taiwanese Industry
Foxconn, the Taiwanese original equipment manufacturer (OEM) widely known as an 'Apple partner,' announced that it will collaborate with Japan's SoftBank Group to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) data center facility base in Ohio, USA.
According to Taiwanese media such as Liberty Times on the 19th, Liu Young-way, Chairman of Foxconn and the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA), made this announcement at a TEEMA board and supervisory meeting held in northern Taipei the previous day, in relation to SoftBank's 'Stargate' project.
Chairman Liu stated that Foxconn Group has agreed to jointly build an AI data center facility base with SoftBank at a plant in Ohio, USA. He explained that the two sides will establish a joint venture, with each contributing 50%, to manufacture equipment required for the AI data center, while SoftBank will provide 100% of the funding for the building and land.
It has been reported that SoftBank will acquire Foxconn's electric vehicle plant in Ohio, USA, for $375 million (521.7 billion won). Chairman Liu noted that more than six months have passed since the project began, and the site has already taken on its basic form.
He predicted that this project would serve as an important model for Taiwanese companies amid the US tariff policy and the trend toward localizing supply chains. He also stated that Foxconn will support small and medium-sized Taiwanese companies in expanding their overseas production facilities in the US, Mexico, and other countries.
Last January, SoftBank announced the Stargate project, a joint venture with OpenAI and Oracle to establish data centers in the US, and revealed plans to invest up to $500 billion (approximately 735 trillion won) over the next four years to build extensive AI-related infrastructure across the country.
Foxconn, which has specialized in contract manufacturing of products such as the Apple iPhone, has recently been expanding its presence in the AI sector. The company is now focusing on the specialized production of AI-related products and infrastructure, including AI robots, data centers, servers, and AI factories.
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