Gumi City and Samsung SDS Sign AI Data Center Investment Agreement on Global Stage, Declare Global AI Hub Ambitions

At CES 2026, the World’s Largest IT Exhibition
Highlighting the Significance of “Gumi’s Selection”
Investment Agreement Reached on the CES Stage
Launching an Industrial Axis Connecting Semiconductors, AI, and Mobile
Accelerating the Shift from Manufacturing City to an AI and Data Industry Hub

On January 7 (local time), Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Samsung SDS at CES 2026, the world’s largest IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, United States, for the construction of a large-scale AI data center.

At CES 2026, the world's largest IT exhibition, Samsung SDS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a large-scale investment to build an AI data center. Photo by Gumi City Hall

This agreement marks the first official step in putting into action Samsung SDS’s plan to invest in an AI data center in Gumi, as previously announced in a public disclosure on January 2.

This event also served as a public declaration that Gumi City and Samsung SDS have begun to establish a mid- to long-term cooperation system centered on the AI industry.

CES is a symbolic stage where global big tech companies, investors, and technology leaders gather to gauge the direction of future industries and investment trends.

The agreement signed at this event clearly conveyed to the world that Gumi has been chosen as a strategic investment site for Samsung SDS.

Samsung SDS plans to build a hyperscale AI data center with a capacity of approximately 60 MW in the Gumi National Industrial Complex and is also considering the possibility of additional investments in the future.

With this agreement, Gumi will accelerate the establishment of a Gumi-style AI industrial ecosystem by linking the AI data center infrastructure of Samsung SDS, the production base for Samsung Electronics’ ‘Galaxy AI’ smartphones, and the city’s strong materials and components manufacturing capabilities centered around the semiconductor-specialized complex into a single industrial axis.

In particular, the Gumi AI data center is expected to utilize cutting-edge AI semiconductors such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM), serving as a key infrastructure supporting digital competitiveness across mobile, manufacturing, and service sectors based on large-scale computation and data processing capabilities.

For over 60 years, Gumi City has led Korea’s industrialization as the largest inland manufacturing hub with five national industrial complexes, generating vast amounts of high-quality manufacturing data every day.

Starting with this CES investment agreement, Gumi City will accelerate the creation of a complete AI ecosystem within its industrial complex and its transformation into a global advanced manufacturing AI city.

To this end, the city plans to: ▲ establish a data acquisition and sharing system centered on local specialized industries; ▲ build a ‘Gumi-style Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) Model’ through AI autonomous manufacturing demonstrations; ▲ support the transition of manufacturing companies to AI factories; and ▲ attract highly skilled IT professionals and foster AI talent in collaboration with local universities based on the AI data center. Through this comprehensive manufacturing AI transformation, Gumi aims to drive innovation in its industrial complex.

Kim Jangho, Mayor of Gumi, stated, “Signing the AI data center investment agreement with Samsung SDS on the global stage of CES is a symbolic moment that demonstrates to the world the direction and execution capabilities of Gumi’s industrial transformation,” adding, “With this agreement, I expect Gumi to emerge as a central city for future industries based on AI infrastructure.”