NVIDIA, SKT and Rebellions to Build AIDC with Integrated NPUs

Connect Different Semiconductors Through NVLink Fusion
Explore Collaboration with 22 Korean AI Startups

NVIDIA is expanding its presence in the AI ecosystem by connecting domestically developed artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors to data center infrastructure with SK Telecom and Rebellions, while exploring ways to work with Korean AI startups.

NVIDIA AI Day Seoul 2026, which opened at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 9th, is seeing relatively light attendance. 2026.11.9 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The Ministry of Science and ICT said it celebrated the signing of the "NVLink Fusion Cooperation Agreement" among NVIDIA, SK Telecom and Rebellions at "NVIDIA AI Day" held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on November 9, and co-hosted a partnership forum between NVIDIA and AI startups. Attendees at the signing ceremony included Lee Do-gyu, director general of the Information and Communications Policy Office at the ministry; Raymond Te, senior vice president at NVIDIA; Jeong Seok-geun, chief technology officer (CTO) of SK Telecom; and Park Sung-hyun, CEO of Rebellions.

The agreement is part of the collaboration on linking domestically developed neural processing units (NPUs) that the ministry and NVIDIA have been discussing. As SK Telecom builds AI data centers (AIDCs), it will use NVIDIA technology to implement a heterogeneous AI computing system that links Rebellions' NPUs with NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs).

Through this collaboration, domestically developed NPUs will move beyond technological development and become integrated into NVIDIA's system architecture. NVLink Fusion is a platform that allows accelerators from other companies to be integrated into NVIDIA's AI computing systems. Domestically developed NPUs can be incorporated into NVIDIA systems, which connect multiple semiconductors, and used alongside GPUs.

Korean AI semiconductor companies are expected to validate their chips' performance and potential applications, and expand their overseas business opportunities. As demand for AI inference grows, heterogeneous computing that uses GPUs and NPUs together is drawing attention as a direction for next-generation AI infrastructure. Domestically developed NPUs are also expected to expand their applications in the AI data center market in line with this trend.

The forum that followed discussed ways for Korean AI startups to work with NVIDIA. NVIDIA was represented by Vice Presidents Divy Thalla and Jonathan Cohen, among others. From Korea, 22 leading AI startups, including Upstage, Realworld, TwelveLabs, FuriosaAI and Rebellions, took part.

"The competitiveness of the AI industry can grow when diverse capabilities are connected and integrated, going beyond the advancement of individual technologies," said Lee Do-gyu, director general of the Information and Communications Policy Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT. "I hope this forum will help Korean companies identify opportunities for technological and business cooperation with NVIDIA and lead to results that enable them to enter global markets together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.