On Tuesday, Saimemory, a subsidiary of the multinational investment giant SoftBank Group, and US chipmaker Intel Corporation (INTC.US) jointly announced that they have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly promote the commercialization of next-generation memory technology. This collaboration focuses on next-generation memory technology capable of meeting the soaring demands of the artificial intelligence and high-performance computing sectors. Currently, this joint effort is named the "Z-Angle Memory Project," abbreviated as ZAM. According to SoftBank, a prototype is expected to be completed within the fiscal year ending March 31, 2028, with the goal of achieving commercialization in the 2029 fiscal year. Following the announcement, SoftBank's stock price rose 3.13% on Monday, while Intel's stock price increased by 5%. The project is dedicated to developing the core technology for advanced memory. Intel's participation specifically targets improvements in performance and power efficiency for next-generation Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) used in computers and servers. "Existing standard memory architectures are struggling to keep pace with the escalating demands of artificial intelligence (AI)," stated Dr. Joshua Fryman, Intel Fellow and Chief Technology Officer of Intel's Government Technology Division, in a statement. He further added that Intel has successfully developed a novel memory architecture and assembly method that can enhance DRAM performance while effectively reducing power consumption and cost, thereby laying a solid foundation for the technology's broader adoption over the next decade. This collaboration coincides with an explosive growth in memory demand driven by AI-related applications. Currently, memory demand far outstrips supply capacity, consequently pushing the entire memory supply chain into a shortage predicament. It is worth noting that the ZAM project's strong emphasis on energy efficiency also reflects growing concerns about the massive power consumption required for AI computing. Saimemory was formally established in December 2024 and, in its development, will fully leverage Intel's accumulated expertise and extensive experience in memory technology, particularly the results from a series of projects Intel has undertaken as part of the US Department of Energy's Advanced Memory Technology Initiative. Last year, media first reported on the collaboration between Intel and SoftBank concerning next-generation memory technology. It is reported that the Japanese multinational IT equipment and services giant Fujitsu is also involved in the project.