When 20-year SK hynix veteran Boyeon Kim was in college, she estimated only around 10% of the students in her engineering program were women. The lack of women in engineering classes prompted those on campus to distinguish students into three groups: men, women, and “engineering women”. Despite graduating years after Kim, Yujin Lee, who joined the company in 2022, admitted she did not expect to find female mentors or even work with other women in the engineering field.

The experiences of Kim and Lee in South Korea are echoed elsewhere around the world. In the U.S., women only accounted for 11.6% of all employed electrical and electronics engineers in 2023. To address this significant imbalance, International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is celebrated annually on June 23 to raise the profile of women in engineering and inspire more young women to pursue careers in this profession.

To mark the occasion, Kim and Lee from DRAM Development sat down for a one-on-one discussion at SK hynix’s Icheon headquarters. The pair covered a range of topics including progress for female engineers, their achievements, key lessons, and future goals.

Changes & Progress for Female Engineers

Yujin: “Since you’ve been in this industry for a much longer time than me, I’ve always wondered what it was like back when you first started. Did you ever feel like you were at a disadvantage because you were one of the few women in the office?”

Boyeon: “Even when I was just one of a handful of women in class or at work, I can’t remember ever being explicitly discriminated against because I was a woman. But I did somewhat feel like I had to work harder than other team members to be recognized in a traditional workplace.”

Yujin: “Then, have you experienced any changes since you started your career?”

Boyeon: “While the culture was predominantly androcentric when I started out, it feels like it has now shifted toward recognizing and celebrating diversity.”

Yujin: “When I joined the company, I felt that women in the industry generally didn’t face many obstacles but were still encountering issues in areas such as networking. However, I received a pleasant surprise when I was assigned to my team: two of the leaders were women. It’s encouraging to see experienced female leaders around me who I can learn from. I’ve also benefited significantly from the design schools, mentoring opportunities, and seminars offered by our team’s senior members.”

Female Mentors: A Guiding Light for Young Engineers

Yujin: “Did you have female mentors when you were a young engineer?”

Boyeon: “I was fortunate to have a senior female colleague on my team around my fourth year. She helped and supported me as I grew, and she remains a reliable mentor to this day. Even after nearly two decades, I always seek her advice when faced with challenges and still find it beneficial to ask her questions.”

Yujin: “I was also lucky enough to meet various mentors. My interest in the semiconductor industry sprouted from meeting a mentor at a university alumni networking event, while I decided to work at SK hynix after meeting another mentor during my internship here. In addition to those mentors, it’s also been so inspiring to work under you and another female team leader. As a leader, what is your approach to mentorship?”

Boyeon: “When mentoring junior colleagues, I often discuss their current career status and how they want to progress. People can become somewhat complacent after working for years at a company, so, in order not to get tired, it’s important to keep planning for their future growth and envisioning a bigger picture.”

Yujin: “I am always grateful when you and my other senior colleagues take the time to help me despite your busy schedules. Often, I feel like I’ve grown significantly after just listening to your thought processes. I also apply many of these lessons to my daily life outside of the office. When I see you balance work and family while living your own life, it makes me think that I can do the same in the future.”

Boyeon: “I’m glad that you feel inspired. When it comes to talking with seniors, please don’t hesitate to ask questions. Seniors actually enjoy receiving questions from juniors and are happy to answer them.”

Eye-Opening Lessons That Transformed Perspectives

Boyeon: “You’ve been working at SK hynix for about two years now. What is something that you can say you are proud of accomplishing?”

Yujin: “Although I haven’t worked here for long, I’m satisfied with becoming familiar with my daily tasks. My latest project was regarding peripheral circuit design, and I’ve managed to approach my work intuitively after six months.”

Boyeon: “Is there anything you’ve learned from this project?”

Yujin: “My logical thinking skills have improved, and this has allowed me to enjoy my work while also feeling a sense of reward. In general, I have also learned that when I hurry to finish work, a problem generally occurs in the end. For example, there was one instance just after I started working here when I didn’t apply all the known conditions to simulations when verifying circuit designs. After a defect occurred during a wafer test, I learned that I needed to apply all relevant conditions to simulations in order to verify them—even if there are more than 1,000 conditions. I’m now more thorough in my approach to work.”

Boyeon: “Yes, there is a lot to learn from our mistakes and failures. Likewise, my most memorable project wasn’t one that was successful from the beginning. On the contrary, I learned the most from a project where we performed quite poorly. Even when our team had to work overtime every day to interpret the malfunctions that occurred in our product design, this tough experience was really valuable as it helped me and my team members develop our skills.”

Yujin: “Do you think the team gained anything unexpected from this experience?”

Boyeon: “It made us realize the importance of teamwork. We saw first-hand how the skill of each member comes together to become the overall skill of the entire team.”

Welcoming the Next Generation of Female Engineers

Boyeon: “Let’s talk about what lies ahead for us now. What is your goal for this year?”

Yujin: “I think I’ve moved on from merely absorbing knowledge from my senior colleagues to now thinking about the direction I should take by myself. Going forward, I want to become an engineer who works efficiently and uses various tools to enhance my design methodologies.”

Boyeon: “My goal is always to become a better leader. As a team leader, I see it as my responsibility to foster members’ growth and development. As SK hynix leads the DDR5 market, our team goal is to ensure the company maintains this position as we move into the DDR6 era.”

Yujin: “Lastly, what advice would you give to your younger self or to younger women who want to pursue a career in this field?”

Boyeon: “Like everyone else, I wanted to immediately be good at my job. This made me become impatient with myself. But I learned that it’s really crucial to be patient and draw a picture of how you want to grow and take small steps every day to reach your destination. What about you?”

Yujin: “Right, I can see that looking at the big picture is important when it comes to personal development. If I was to give advice, I would say if you’re inspired and motivated to tackle complex but rewarding puzzles, I’m sure we’ll make a great team here at SK hynix.”

The post INWED 2024: Junior & Senior SK hynix Workers Share Their Experiences as Women Breaking Barriers in Engineering first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

^*The company re-branded itself as SK hynix Inc. after joining SK Group in 2012.

SK hynix: Leading the Tech Sector with Innovative Solutions

Figure 1. SK hynix’s 2022 Innovations Leading the Tech Sector

Advanced technological innovation is a key part of becoming a leading technology business on the global stage. For SK hynix, it is continuously pushing the boundaries of technology to develop next-generation solutions.

This commitment to innovation was showcased early on in 2022 as the company unveiled the GDDR6-AiM, its first product which utilized Processing in Memory (PIM) technology, in February. The GDDR6-AiM is an AI accelerator with its own computational capabilities that significantly increases certain computation speeds. It’s anticipated to be adopted for machine learning, high-performance computing, and big data computation and storage.

Then, in April, SK hynix joined hands with Solidigm to introduce their first enterprise solid-state drive (eSSD), P5530. It combines SK hynix’s 128-layer 4D NAND flash with Solidigm’s SSD controller and firmware supporting a PCle Gen 4 interface. This limited release highlighted the partnership between SK hynix and its subsidiary Solidigm, which was formed after SK hynix acquired Intel’s NAND and SSD business in December 2021.

The innovations continued into the summer as SK hynix became the first company to mass produce HBM3, the world’s best-performing DRAM, in June—which it supplied to NVIDIA. The announcement came just seven months after the company became the industry’s first to develop HBM3, solidifying its leadership in the premium DRAM market.

SK hynix announced another industry-first in August as it unveiled the world’s highest 238-layer 512Gb TLC (Triple-Level Cell) 4D NAND. The chip is the most layered yet smallest NAND product out on the market. With plans for mass production next year, it simultaneously improves productivity, data transfer speed, and power efficiency.

In the same month, SK hynix reinforced its superiority in Compute Express Link (CXL) solutions when it developed its first DDR5 DRAM-based CXL memory samples. Two months later, SK hynix became the first in the industry to integrate computational functions into CXL memory by developing CMS, a computational memory solution that’s expected to improve system performance as well as energy efficiency for next-generation server platforms. These developments represented a chance for the company to expand memory and create a new market, as CXL is set to be a critical technology in optimizing memory solutions in the future.

SK hynix continued to reimagine technological limits in December when the company announced it had developed working samples of its DDR5 Multiplexer Combined Ranks (MCR) Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM), the world’s fastest server DRAM product. The new MCR DIMM operates at a minimum data rate of 8Gbps and is at least 80% faster than existing DDR5 products. SK hynix expects demand for the MCR DIMM to be driven by high performance computing that will take advantage of the increased memory bandwidth.

A Global Ambassador: Exhibiting Leading Technology and Business Performance at Major Tech Events

Figure 2. 2022 Global Tech Events Attended by SK hynix

As the semiconductor industry continues to grow every year, collaborations between related companies and markets are essential for long-term growth. In 2022, SK hynix participated in numerous international exhibitions and events to not only strengthen cooperation with its partners but also showcase the company’s productivity and advancements.

At the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2022 at the beginning of the year in Las Vegas, SK hynix showed its commitment to SK Group’s larger carbon reduction efforts through its initiatives related to the manufacturing and packaging of its products. By showcasing its low-power semiconductors, water-free scrubbers, and biodegradable package materials, SK hynix highlighted its continued focus on the environmental impact of its products.

In March, SK hynix was the only company that presented a HBM3 at NVIDIA GTC (GPU Technology Conference) 2022. As a high-performing product able to drastically reduce power consumption in data centers around the world, HBM3 emphasized SK hynix’s desire to build on its core product that will meet ESG standards and boost corporate values.

In June, SK hynix participated in the HPE Discover 2022 conference with Solidigm. Showcasing its products under the themes “A New Standard Double Data Rate (DDR) for Green Future” and “Storage Technology Innovator for a Better World”, SK hynix underlined how it is building toward a future of innovative memory solution production.

SK hynix’s developments in the memory sector were further revealed at the annual Flash Memory Summit (FMS) in August, where SK hynix executives gave keynote addresses. They explained how NAND technology is addressing the need for “DataCosm,” the unique confluence of data, storage, and computing. The company also unveiled the world’s first 238-layer 512Gb TLC 4D NAND at the event.

In early October at the Semiconductor Exhibition (SEDEX) in Seoul, SK hynix emphasized its message of a Memory Centric Universe that places semiconductor memory at the center of the company’s world. Audiences from the company’s home country were reminded of the foundational role that memory semiconductors play in familiar, advanced technologies including AI, the Metaverse, big data, and next-generation communication networks (6G).

Lastly, the OCP Global Summit later in October provided the platform to display four SK hynix products, including an industry-first CXL computational memory solution. While proving SK hynix’s standing as a total solution provider, the development marked a meaningful partnership with SK Telecom—another ICT company of SK Group—for a breakthrough advancement.

Thinking Sustainability: SK hynix and Its Eco-friendly Achievements

Figure 3. SK hynix’s 2022 ESG Milestones

As climate change and its impact on the world’s ecosystem becomes increasingly problematic, SK hynix has taken it upon itself to join global efforts to protect the environment as part of its Double Bottom Line philosophy. This places equal importance on the economic and social value of business decisions and has helped to further develop the company’s initiatives on managing carbon emissions and waste management in 2022.

In June, SK hynix received the carbon footprint certification for its eSSD and cSSD products. Issued by the U.K. climate change organization Carbon Trust, the certification assesses the impact of carbon emissions throughout the entire lifecycle of a product. By receiving a globally recognized certificate, SK hynix is able to provide more reliable data on the environmental impact of its products.

In October, SK hynix became a part of the global semiconductor industry’s climate change response initiative when it joined the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC) as a founding member. The SCC is the first global consultative body formed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the semiconductor value chain.

The company’s environmentally-friendly initiatives are not limited to combatting climate change. In November, the company became the first semiconductor company in Korea to receive the ‘IECQ QC 080000 Hazardous Substance Process Management (HSPM)’ certification. The certificate validates the company’s ability to manage hazardous substances throughout the entire process of supplying environmentally-friendly semiconductors.

In addition to protecting the environment, SK hynix made sure to strengthen its ESG management this year by developing its ESG strategy playbook and goals known as the PRISM framework. PRISM relays the message that SK hynix will transparently communicate with stakeholders while also reflecting its goal of spreading a positive influence around the world.

Although 2022 has proved to be a challenging and uncertain year for the semiconductor industry, SK hynix has been able to overcome these issues thanks to its ability to turn crises into opportunities. The company has made tremendous strides to solidify its status as a successful and environmentally conscious semiconductor company, pushing the boundaries of technological innovations and reaching milestones in business performances and environmental contributions. Looking toward the next 100 years, SK hynix will continue to stand as a leading solution provider that pushes the global ICT ecosystem forward.

The post A Year to Remember: SK hynix Moves Further Into the Global Spotlight first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

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When fresh graduate Ho-sang Lee first dipped his toe in the professional world, semiconductors were not well-known globally. In fact, the now Managing Director of SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (Head of Europe) was completely unaware of semiconductors. Presented with prospective employment across various industries, Ho-sang Lee quickly recognized the potential a career in semiconductors held.

In his first six years of career, Lee worked in administration, working his way into more senior positions that required collaborating with headquarters and the overseas subsidiaries as part of the sales division.

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As a leader who prioritizes communication, it comes as no surprise that ensuring harmony is at the top of this Managing Director’s to-do list. While Lee does enjoy listening to classical music, especially Mozart’s “Oboe Concerto,” the harmony he strives to achieve in the workplace is of the non-musical variety.

“Since people with different personalities completing different kinds of work often interact, it is paramount to achieve harmony through communication. The most successful individuals are considerate and try to compromise even if there are differences of opinion.”

Striking the Right Chord in Business

The automotive industry has long been a driving force in the European economy, playing a key role in advancing regional development across the continent. In Frankfurt, Germany, sitting geographically at the center of it all, is the SK hynix Deutschland GmbH office.

“Making Frankfurt home base for our European business presents numerous advantages. The country has a rich automotive history and provides quick and easy access to the rest of the continent via the international airport, autobahn, railroads, and even ships.”

Access to convenient international travel options is important for Lee’s team as the SK hynix’s German subsidiary manages business for the entire continent along with the team in Britain. Together, they support clients through satellite sales offices located in Paris, Helsinki, and Dublin.

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Home to various top-tier carmakers, Germany is the perfect place for SK hynix’s Autolab. Opening its doors in January 2020, the Autolab aims to support the advancement of memory-related technologies for European automotive clients.

“Launching the Autolab was an important achievement for all members of the German team. The lab’s main objective is to conduct certification evaluations at the Board level for clients attempting to authenticate using our memory solutions. In addition, we also make recommendations to clients following strict evaluations and identify the exact cause of issues through defect analysis.”

The Autolab marks one of many meaningful strategic business decisions that have led to the landmark expansion of SK hynix’s automotive business. Lee is both pleased with the progress made so far and optimistic about the future. The Managing Director noted some standout moments from the past year, including working with one of the top-tier carmakers and improving profitability.

“In 2021, we were able to improve our legacy product profitability due partly to favorable market conditions. In addition, there was a feat of securing the memory requirements of the top-tier carmaker, and preemptively reflecting them in the development of our HQ products.”

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He is proud to have achieved this success jointly through the support of all the German team members and looks forward to accomplishing more together.

“SK hynix’s automotive business is really beginning to take off. To solidify our position, our activities in Europe are becoming increasingly important. The German subsidiary stands at the forefront as the European market is expected to expand in the future.”

Setting the Tone for the German Office

Much of the German Office’s success can be attributed to its strong internal culture and welcoming atmosphere. The close-knit team tackles a variety of disciplines in-house including, marketing, sales, planning, product development, quality control, and, of course, management.

“I believe the most important thing to strive for is harmony among all the members. As an office, we try to follow principles of harmony while setting clear boundaries between work and home.”

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A transplant himself, Lee understands how difficult transitioning to life in another country can be.

“In addition to discussing the main tasks of our business, I try to help my team members by sharing my own personal tips and know-hows on living and working aboard and how to adjust and adapt to their new lives.”

When it entered the automotive market, SK hynix was a relative latecomer compared to the industry’s established players. The brand was less well-know, but Lee and the team in Germany hit the ground running.

“We were somewhat less recognizable than our competitors, but due to the nature of the automotive industry, we were ready to compete on what clients valued most—semiconductor quality and reliability.”

The team had some unique challenges to surmount and did so by uniting under a banner of teamwork and harmony.

“There were numerous difficulties as a reflection of limited resources, such as negotiations, product certification, and poor response to supply contracts. However, through consistent and persuasive conversations with customers, our team laid the foundation for business expansion.”

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Attitude is also an important value Lee instills in his team. In his mind, the term can encompass many different meanings, but it is about mindset at its core.

“I think it’s the key thing to remember when dealing with all our work—our tasks, our relationships, collaborations, debates, conflicts, and so on—is that we have to be in the right mindset, with the right attitude in all our dealings.”

Lee’s Final Notes on Harmony

Sharing a few final thoughts, Lee spoke again about the importance of harmony, sharing his advice for aspiring hi-gineers.

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“These days, there is a widespread social atmosphere that emphasizes individual abilities and specifications, but I think sincere attitudes and approaches to difficult problems in work and human relations are essential for the development of individuals and companies.

While working at a company, you often encounter dead ends and must navigate internal competition and conflict. However, by focusing on supporting your team with a harmonious attitude and communicating with consideration and sincerity toward others you’ll be able to take on any challenge.”

The post The Importance of Harmony: Ho-sang Lee on his role as Managing Director at SK hynix Deutschland GmbH first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

We reached out to key executives at our overseas subsidiaries to talk about their leadership styles and the ways in which they cultivate, motivate and drive their teams forward. These employees from across SK hynix’s global network will share how they lead and why good leadership is important to create a positive company culture.

Paul Palonsky, VP of Sales, SK hynix America Inc.

Why SK hynix? “The reason I have stayed at SK hynix all these years is that I am always – still to this day – able to find new challenges. On top of it all, I have the pleasure of working with such a great group of people who are equally dedicated to creating successful outcomes for the company and our customers.

What does success look like on your team? “As one of the world’s leading semiconductor companies, we have many partners with which we develop advanced technologies. We must contribute to win-win collaborations in order to enhance semiconductors along with technology trends that continue to define the industry.”

What are you proudest of? “I am very proud of the sales team we have built at SK hynix America, where we have a great group of professionals who are driven to succeed and to innovate our business. We have redefined the sales role from that of a salesperson solely responsible for generating revenue, to a more comprehensive account management role.”

What do you look for in an employee? “When I recruit salespeople myself, I try not to have a preconceived notion of a minimum skill set. Rather, I look for people who have the ability to solve problems and can find ways to succeed by overcoming obstacles and objections.”

What’s next? “We’re working to improve the ways in which we communicate with our customers and how we reflect the voice of the market in our business.

Natalia Ryzhenkova, Head of SKHMS Eastern Europe

Why SK hynix? “I love that I’m encouraged to try new things out, overcome challenges and grow professionally. I love talented and dedicated people I work with. And I take my position above all as a great responsibility.”

What are you proudest of? “For more than 5 years of working for the company we have managed to create not just working relationships, but friendly relationships, based on honesty, trust and mutual respect.”

What makes a productive team?Every person wants to be appreciated, acknowledged and rewarded. And we try to create a corporate culture where every member feels that his/her contribution is valued. We also pay much attention and care to our member’s health and implement the philosophy of wellbeing. All this encourages every team member to play his/her important role in the continued success of the company.

What does success look like on your team?“In order to have good results we need to be one team all over the world. Our teamwork and a spirit of achievement will help us accomplish our most important goals.”

Tim Schafer, Vice President of the Enterprise SSD Firmware Team at SK hynix memory solutions (SKHMS) America Inc.

Why Solid-State Drives (SSD)? “I could tell it would become one of those technologies that would totally disrupt the compute and storage industries.”

Why SK hynix? “One of the big reasons I joined SK hynix is that I am always interested in learning new things. My role here makes it my job to do just that – and to lead a team into a relatively new area for the company.”

What’s the role of your team? “In enterprise SSDs, the firmware team is a key part of the entire product life cycle: from working the SoC team on the definition and validation of the next-gen SSD controller, partnering with planning and marketing teams on design-win and design-in implementation with our customers, and all the way to sustaining our products and customers past the product end-of-life (EOL). Everyone in the business is counting on us and a collaborative approach is paramount.”

What does success look like on your team? “Most of the customers and innovation for Enterprise SSDs are here in the U.S and having a fantastic firmware team here in San Jose is critical to our business. Ultimately, we want to be viewed by our customers as great partners and they want to work with us on the leading edge of SSD innovation. And yes, we will have a lot of fun along the way!”

What’s next? “I’m very proud of what the team has accomplished and can’t wait to see the continued growth over the next several years! It’s great to see them learn, grow, and be wildly successful along the way on our journey together.”

Leadership Matters

We believe that good leadership is an important quality that our executives display. It not only helps to create an empowering corporate culture for our employees but carries over and reflects back positively on our relationships with customers and partners.

In order to match the dynamic industry we’re in, we need to ensure that our leaders are just as dynamic and flexible to create an environment for our employees to thrive. We will keep pushing ourselves to be at the forefront of not only the next-generation technology we deliver but the growth and development of our colleagues.

The post How We Lead: SK hynix executives explain the key to successful company culture first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Seoul, Korea, December 22, 2000 – Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd. (HEI) announced yesterday that it had been awarded Telecommunications Leadership (TL) 9000 certification, a standard for quality management in the telecommunications field.

Following a four-day audit by British Standards Institution (BSI) Inc. begun 12 December 2000, HEI received the certificate for its Code Division Multiple Access mobile handsets and local/overseas service. BSI is expected to issue HEI the physical certificate next month. TL9000 certification represents a telecommunications industry standard as set by the Quality Excellence for Suppliers of Telecommunications (QuEST) Forum last November. By adding some eighty-three requirements to the existing ISO9001 classification, TL9000 becomes the more stringent of the two, creating a compelling new technological challenge. HEI is the first Korean member of the QuEST Forum. With TL9000 certification, mobile handset excellence by HEI is now officially recognized. The company is creating the best quality assurance program in the telecommunications industry, encompassing planning, development, manufacturing, sales, and service. Additionally, HEI plans to implement a product management system (‘Life Cycle Model’), reporting quarterly on eleven metrics. About Hyundai Electronic Industries Co., Ltd. Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd. (HEI) is an industry leader in the development, manufacture, sales, marketing, and distribution of high-quality Semiconductors (including DRAM, SRAM, Flash memory, and system IC devices), Telecommunications products, and Liquid Crystal Displays. The Telecommunications Business Unit of Hyundai provides high quality CDMA wireless networks, handsets, and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) central office and customer premise equipment. All are produced at the Hyundai ISO9001-certified large-scale production facility in Ichon, Korea. In 1996, Hyundai provided wireless systems for the first commercially deployed CDMA network. Korea continues to account for a large portion of the world’s CDMA subscribers. Building on this experience, Hyundai offers a full line of CDMA wireless network solutions deployed worldwide for mobile voice and data, wireless offices, and for wireless local loop in traditional and packet networks at 800, 1800, and 1900 MHz. Hyundai currently holds a major market share of DSL central office and customer premise equipment in Korea, one of the world’s largest growth markets. Based in Korea, Hyundai maintains development, manufacturing, sales, and marketing facilities strategically located worldwide. Hyundai Electronics America (HEA) is a U.S. subsidiary of Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd. HEA is headquartered at 3101 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134. For more information on Hyundai Electronics Telecommunications products, call (408) 232-8700 or visit the Hyundai Electronics¢â web site at http://www.hei.co.kr.

The post Hyundai Electronics awarded Telecommunications Leadership 9000 certification first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.