Samsung SDS breaks ground on AI data center in Gumi
Samsung SDS CEO Lee June-hee speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for its artificial intelligence data center in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Courtesy of Samsung SDS
60-MW center marks start of Samsung's $44.6 bil. regional investment plan
Samsung SDS has begun construction of an artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, marking the first step in Samsung Group's 60 trillion won ($44.6 billion) investment plan for the Yeongnam region.
The company said Monday that the facility will be built on a 46,000-square-meter site in Gongdan-dong, with an initial power capacity of 60 megawatts, which can be expanded to 120 MW to meet growing demand for AI computing infrastructure.
Construction began after Gumi City approved the project in late August, with completion targeted for the end of 2028.
The project is part of Samsung's plan, announced in July, to turn the Yeongnam region into a global hub for physical AI innovation. The investment roadmap covers humanoid robots and AI data centers in Gumi, all-solid-state batteries in Ulsan, advanced packaging substrates and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for AI servers in Busan and high-value-added vessels in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.
Samsung SDS said the facility will provide critical infrastructure for AI-driven manufacturing and robotics automation, while supporting national AI development initiatives and fostering the regional industrial ecosystem.
Designed as a hyperscale facility, the data center will incorporate technologies drawing on Samsung SDS' 30 years of experience in data center construction and operations.
The facility will feature high-capacity power infrastructure, redundant critical systems and emergency power supplies to ensure reliable operations of power-intensive AI servers. It will also adopt a hybrid cooling system combining air and liquid cooling to manage heat generated by high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs).
Air cooling will be used for conventional servers handling networking and storage, while liquid cooling will serve high-density GPU server areas. The facility will also be designed to support racks with varying power demands, including ultra-high-power configurations.
Samsung SDS CEO Lee June-hee, fifth from left, and other officials break ground on the Samsung SDS' artificial intelligence data center in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Courtesy of Samsung SDS
Samsung SDS plans to operate its own GPU infrastructure while offering colocation services, allowing customers to install and operate their own GPU equipment at the facility.
The data center will serve both external customers and Samsung affiliates, particularly supporting the group's manufacturing robotics transformation initiatives. It is expected to provide computing resources for training AI systems used in precision industrial robots.
In January, Samsung SDS announced a 427.3 billion won investment in the project and signed a memorandum of understanding with North Gyeongsang Province and the city of Gumi.
"AI is transforming how companies operate and reshaping industrial competitiveness," Samsung SDS CEO Lee June-hee said.
"Turning these changes into tangible results requires a solid foundation capable of processing vast amounts of data and ensuring the stable operation of AI systems."
Lee said the company would leverage its expertise in data centers, cloud computing and AI to build reliable infrastructure, provide comprehensive AI services and contribute to the development of the regional economy.