Foxconn's AI server capacity for the next 18 months is fully booked
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Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said in an interview with CNBC that the company's AI server capacity for at least the next year and a half has been fully booked. It plans to raise its global AI server market share from about 40% currently to around 45% next year, and to reach 50% within the next few years. In the second quarter of this year, the cloud and networking products division, which includes AI servers, already accounted for 51% of Foxconn's revenue, surpassing 50% for the first time. Liu also disclosed that he has met with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss cooperation, and said Foxconn is accelerating its U.S. manufacturing footprint, but stressed that it will strictly control spending to avoid overinvestment.
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Foxconn's AI server capacity is fully booked, and the cloud division now accounts for more than half of revenue, offering a window into how AI hardware demand is reshaping the business structure of the contract manufacturing giant.
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近日,外媒CNBC发布了对鸿海董事长刘扬伟的专访。刘扬伟在采访中表示,AI基础设施需求未见明显放缓,鸿海计划将全球AI服务器市占率从目前的约40%提升至明年的45%左右,并在未来数年达到50%。
鸿海正式名称为鸿海精密工业,长期以来以组装苹果iPhone闻名,但AI基础设施正迅速成为其核心增长引擎。鸿海今年8月披露的数据显示,今年第二季度公司包含AI服务器的云端及网通产品部门在第二季度营收中占比已达51%,首次突破50%。这意味着,尽管iPhone组装仍是鸿海的重要业务,AI硬件在财务贡献上已与之比肩甚至超越。
支撑刘扬伟信心的是鸿海实实在在的AI服务器订单。他表示,鸿海未来至少一年半的产能已被全部订满,反映AI基础设施需求持续强劲。目前需求主要来自AI模型开发商和云服务提供商,政府及企业客户尚未全面采用这项技术。刘扬伟强调,AI需求依然“相当强劲”,政府与企业客户尚处早期探索阶段,暗示需求仍有较大释放空间。
值得一提的是,刘扬伟在10月30日鸿海科技日期间透露,其已与OpenAI CEO Sam Altman会面,讨论双方合作事宜。当天在接受彭博电视台采访时还强调:“这不是虚假需求,不是想象出来的需求。这是真实的,所以这是个好问题。只要我们能跟上需求,我们就能赚钱。”
鸿海目前正在加速美国制造布局。刘扬伟在CNBC采访中表示,公司计划向供应链上游延伸,以更好地服务美国市场。“我们接下来要做的,就是往供应链上游走。”他解释说,更广泛的制造布局将使鸿海能够更快地响应激增的需求。
但美国制造成本较高,因此初期将优先生产利润率较高的产品,包括AI服务器机柜和数据中心设备。刘扬伟认为,随着美国生产规模扩大,制造成本最终有望下降。目前鸿海在得克萨斯州休斯顿拥有六座工厂,为英伟达等客户生产AI服务器,并认为有必要进一步扩张。
不过,即便需求强劲,刘扬伟仍着重强调审慎管理投资。他直言:“过度投资会害死公司。”鸿海扩大AI事业时将严格控制支出。视垂直整合的程度而定,鸿海每年AI投资可能超过原订的30亿至50亿美元。