Micron Unveils Micron Research Labs, a U.S.-Based Long-Horizon Innovation Hub to Shape the Future of Memory and AI

Backed by a $10 billion planned investment over the next decade, Micron Research Labs will unite academia, government, startups and industry to advance the memory and compute breakthroughs that will define the AI era

BOISE, Idaho, Aug. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today unveiled Micron Research Labs, a U.S.-based long-horizon premier research institution headquartered in Boise and backed by a planned $10 billion investment over the next decade. Building on Micron’s technology and manufacturing leadership, the new hub will bring together customers, academia, government and the broader semiconductor ecosystem to pursue breakthroughs beyond today's technology roadmaps and help define what's possible in the decades ahead. Key research areas include critical memory technologies, advanced memory and compute architectures, packaging and future semiconductor manufacturing.

As the first dedicated memory research hub of its kind in the U.S., Micron Research Labs will center on a flagship Boise campus designed to support advanced research across critical technology domains. The planned investment will also fund extensive university collaborations, global satellite labs and deep ecosystem partnerships, creating a connected research network focused beyond the next generation of technologies for the AI era.

“The decisions we make today will determine who leads the AI economy of tomorrow, and America's AI future will be built on American-made memory," said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology. "With a planned $10 billion investment in Micron Research Labs, we are looking around the corner to the memory and compute systems the future will demand, bringing together the best minds across academia, government, startups and industry. This builds on the more than $250 billion we have separately committed to manufacturing and R&D across the United States, because as the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, we have long believed in the future that AI is now making real.”

Micron Research Labs is founded on a simple conviction: The future of memory and compute is too important and complex to invent alone. Anchored in Boise and connected to Micron’s research and technology footprint across the U.S., Europe, Japan, India, Singapore and Taiwan, the lab will link Micron researchers with external experts and research partners to accelerate the path from scientific discovery to real-world impact.

Building on Micron’s 62,000 lifetime patents and its position as a global technology leader, Micron Research Labs will advance foundational research across memory, compute and semiconductor manufacturing. The institution will look beyond a 10-year horizon while helping build the next generation of memory researchers and technology leaders. Breakthroughs in advanced memory make AI more powerful, scalable, accessible and sustainable, extending the benefits of intelligent technology to agriculture, healthcare, education and industries around the world and advancing Micron’s vision to accelerate intelligence to enrich life for all.

This new investment builds on Micron's previously announced plans to invest more than $250 billion in manufacturing and research and development in the U.S. that will create more than 90,000 American jobs and will reinforce American leadership in memory and advanced manufacturing for years to come. This new investment draws on Micron's unique position as the only U.S.-based company developing and manufacturing leading-edge memory.

“For nearly 50 years, from four people in a Boise basement to America's memory leader, Micron has pushed the boundaries of what memory can do,” said Scott DeBoer, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Products Officer at Micron Technology. "Micron Research Labs gives that legacy a dedicated home for long-horizon innovation, the kind of research that sits upstream of every product we build.” 

Micron anticipates breaking ground in calendar 2027 on a state-of-the-art Micron Research Labs facility capable of hosting hundreds of researchers. The facility is expected to convene world-class research conferences, workshops, and innovation forums in Boise.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick: 
"Memory is a core component of America's technological leadership, and under President Trump, the United States is advancing domestic semiconductor capabilities. Today, Micron announced the establishment of the first dedicated Memory Research Lab along with a $10 billion investment in memory research. This commitment will strengthen American innovation, create hundreds of jobs and ensure memory never limits innovation."

Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios:
“Micron’s establishment of the first dedicated memory research lab in the United States advances the Trump Administration’s mission to secure our nation’s technological edge. Memory is fundamental to the AI era, and by uniting the entire innovation ecosystem here at home, we can help ensure the next generation of breakthroughs are invented, developed, and scaled in America. This investment strengthens our national competitiveness and accelerates the path to the AI-driven Golden Age of American Innovation.”

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO, NVIDIA:
"Micron is taking on one of the great challenges of the AI era — reinventing memory technologies and architectures to fuel the next generation of increasingly powerful AI systems. By bringing together advanced manufacturing and the broader technology ecosystem, Micron is helping drive the breakthroughs that will define the next era of AI and computing.”

Tim Cook, CEO, Apple: 
“For more than two decades, Micron has been an important partner, providing memory technologies for Apple's groundbreaking products that people love and use every day around the world. With the launch of Micron Research Labs, they are building on a legacy of leadership in semiconductor research to drive breakthroughs in memory and computing for decades to come. Apple believes deeply in American innovation, and we’re proud to support Micron as it expands leading-edge manufacturing and R&D in the United States.”

Gary Dickerson, President and CEO, Applied Materials:
“Sustained technology leadership requires innovation in both semiconductor research and manufacturing. As memory and computing architectures become increasingly complex, advances in new materials, equipment, process technology and chip packaging will play an essential role in turning breakthrough ideas into reality. Applied Materials has been partnering with Micron for decades, and we are excited to support the new Micron Research Labs in enabling innovations that will advance the future of AI and semiconductor technology in the United States.”

Tim Archer, President and CEO, Lam Research:
"At Lam, we've seen that breakthroughs in semiconductor performance require advances across the entire technology stack, from materials and process technologies to device architectures and system innovation. Micron Research Labs is a meaningful investment in the long-term research ecosystem that fuels these advances. By connecting leading researchers across industry, academia and government, Micron is helping to accelerate the discoveries that will keep America at the forefront of AI and computing." 

Tsu-Jae King Liu, President, National Academy of Engineering:
“Future intelligent systems will be shaped by engineers who advance the frontiers of semiconductor devices and advanced manufacturing, for more affordable and energy-efficient computing and innovative memory solutions. Micron Research Labs represents a powerful commitment to support collaborative, long-horizon research and to develop the engineering talent our nation needs. By connecting industry, universities and government, this new hub of discovery and innovation will strengthen the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem to keep America at the leading edge.”

Luc Van den hove, Chairman, Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (imec):
"By bringing together expertise from industry, academia and government, Micron is strengthening the global innovation ecosystem that underpins semiconductor progress. The challenges facing the industry, from AI-driven computing to next-generation memory technologies, are too complex for any one organization to solve alone. At imec, we believe deeply in the power of precompetitive collaboration, and our long-standing partnership with Micron demonstrates how shared research can create impact across the broader semiconductor ecosystem. We look forward to building on that partnership and advancing the breakthroughs that will shape the future of computing.”

Jonathan Levin, President, Stanford University:
“Innovation is about turning bold ideas into discoveries that change the world. Micron Research Labs reflects the kind of long-term investment in fundamental research and innovation that is needed to keep America at the forefront. I look forward to the collaborations the Labs will enable with academic institutions to advance the science of memory and computing, and power the next era of discovery.”

Jim Davis, President, The University of Texas at Austin:
“Sustained investments in research will secure our future leadership in computing, semiconductors, and AI. As a founding member of the Texas Institute for Electronics, Micron is a strategic partner to UT Austin and a leading-edge US-based memory provider. Micron understands the power of both academic and industry research and is driving innovation in the national security sector. This investment is the kind of long-term commitment that will produce breakthroughs and unlock new opportunities for our students, researchers, and industry partners.”

About Micron Technology, Inc. 
Micron Technology, Inc. is a global leader in semiconductor memory and storage, powering AI and compute-intensive applications from cloud to edge. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology and product leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron’s comprehensive portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR solutions deliver the speed, efficiency, and scale today’s workloads demand, accelerating intelligence to enrich life for all. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Micron’s manufacturing and research and development investments in U.S. and the outcome of such investments. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Please refer to the documents Micron files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically its most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. These documents contain and identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements. These certain factors can be found at https://investors.micron.com/risk-factor. Although Micron believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Micron cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, or achievements. Micron is under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results.

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