Intel and SoftBank's ZAM Memory Project Secures Japanese Government Subsidies for AI Development

SoftBank subsidiary working with Intel to develop radical new ZAM memory is now receiving Japanese gov't subsidies -- new memory designed as a lower-power HBM for AI workloads

The Japanese Government plans to re-enter the semiconductor market, which Japan once dominated SAIMEMORY, a SoftBank Corp subsidiary in partnership with chip giant Intel, announced that Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) had selected its next-generation ZAM memory technology development project for government subsidies that may cover a huge part of the project's development costs. ZAM (Z-Angle Memory) is a potential next-generation alternative to existing AI memory technology, which is designed to be a power-efficient HBM (high-bandwidth memory). It was selected as part of NEDO's Post-5G Infrastructure Enhancement R&D Project. This news is the latest development in a project shaped by US government-backed research, Intel's internal R&D, and SoftBank's push into AI infrastructure. It builds on earlier advances in memory stacking and interconnects from US-led research efforts, with Intel developing key DRAM stacking and bonding techniques that underpin what would become ZAM. SoftBank later established SAIMEMORY in 2024 to commercialize such architectures, moving upstream into memory rather than relying on existing suppliers. Intel joined as a technical partner, while RIKEN supports evaluation and system-level integration. In early 2025, we reported the Intel-SoftBank collaboration to develop a power-efficient HBM alternative for AI data centers through SoftBank's subsidiary, SAIMEMORY. More recently, we also covered Intel's involvement in co-developing ZAM, a vertically oriented memory concept that promises higher capacity, greater bandwidth, and significantly lower power consumption compared to conventional approaches. The driving force behind all of this is a growing constraint in AI systems: memory. Modern AI workloads demand enormous data throughput between processors and memory. While GPUs have advanced rapidly, memory systems have struggled to keep pace. Today's standard solution is high-bandwidth memory (HBM) -- a form of DRAM (dynamic random access memory) that is vertically stacked and tightly integrated with processors to deliver high speeds. However, HBM comes with trade-offs: complex, costly manufacturing; reliance on precise die stacking and bonding; and limited supply dominated by a few vendors - ZAM, a form of DRAM itself, redesigns the structure. Instead of the conventional stacked-and-bonded approach used in HBM, ZAM proposes a vertical memory architecture with a different spatial arrangement and a non-contact, or "wireless," interconnect between memory layers, thereby improving thermal characteristics by reducing physical constraints. SAIMEMORY claims the design could deliver higher effective density, increased bandwidth, and around 40% lower power consumption compared to traditional HBM. If ZAM works, it could directly compete with HBM in a massive and fast-growing market, reduce power consumption in AI data centers for substantial cost savings, and ease supply constraints through a more scalable manufacturing approach. However, the technology remains at an early prototype stage, with a projected path to mass production around 2029. Historically, many "next-generation" memory concepts have failed to progress beyond lab demonstrations, making execution the key uncertainty. The NEDO-supported program is expected to run for approximately 3.5 years, with SAIMEMORY planning to invest around JPY 8 billion (USD 5 million) through fiscal 2027 to develop working prototypes. The longer-term goal is to establish mass production by around 2029. That places ZAM firmly in the next-generation memory cycle, rather than as an immediate replacement for current HBM deployments. In the meantime, incumbent memory manufacturers are continuing to evolve HBM with higher stack counts and improved efficiency. NEDO's support signifies the Japanese government's intention to re-enter the chip and semiconductor market -- amid skyrocketing AI demand -- which it had dominated before Taiwanese and South Korean manufacturers took over market share. "We view the selection of this Project under the NEDO program as a significant milestone in demonstrating Japan-originated next-generation memory technology to the world. ZAM represents an innovative architecture that achieves both the performance and power efficiency required in the AI era and in anticipation of the accelerating AI supercycle. Through collaboration with Intel, RIKEN, and our investors, as well as other domestic and international partners, we aim to contribute to strengthening the global competitiveness of Japan's semiconductor industry," Hideya Yamaguchi, President & CEO of SAIMEMORY. SAIMEMORY's development program is backed by a consortium that includes SoftBank, Fujitsu, RIKEN, and the Development Bank of Japan, alongside government support via NEDO. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

Intel's Revolutionary ZAM Memory, A Low-Power & High Density HBM Replacement, Receives Big Boost From Japan

Intel announced that its ZAM memory project, which is being developed with SoftBank's subsidiary, SAIMEMORY, has received a big boost from Japan. Japan Accelerates The 3.5-Year Development Plan of ZAM, A Memory Revolution By Intel & SoftBank In its latest presser, Intel Kabushiki Kaisha (Intel K.K.) and SoftBank Corp. subsidiary SAIMEMORY have unveiled that Japan's NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) has now selected ZAM, a next-generation memory standard which is being seen as an HBM replacement. With the selection of ZAM by NEDO, the program will fund the project through government subsidies, accelerating its development to address critical market constraints pertaining to memory shortages in the AI and HPC segments. The ZAM project was first laid out in February this year as it paired with SoftBank to devise a solution that solves the ongoing memory crisis. The result was ZAM or Z-Angle Memory, designed to offer High-Density, Wide-Bandwidth, Low-Power. Under the new program, ZAM will also draw on a network of technology, manufacturing, and supply chain partners in Japan and internationally to support its overall development and commercialization at scale. "Intel has spent years proving the science behind ZAM, from DOE national laboratories to our Next Generation DRAM Bonding initiative. We believe this award puts that work on a fast track to global deployment and strengthens the kind of U.S.-Japan technology partnership that will matter enormously in the years ahead." said Makoto Ohno, President of Intel K.K. Diving a bit into the technical aspects, Intel ZAM (Z-Angle Memory) aims to deliver 40-50% lower power consumption, a simplified design that leads to easy manufacturing, and up to 512 GB densities per chip. Each Z-Angle memory stack will be layered with tightly stacked DRAM ICs, each connected via Z-Angle interconnects. Each stack will be connected to the primary compute chip via EMIB under the base die. The introduction of ZAM will be Intel's first memory product in several decades. During its early days, Intel was a big name in the memory manufacturing industry, but was ultimately pushed out by Japanese vendors, and now, Japanese firms are helping make ZAM a reality. Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.