[Edaily Reporter Cho Yong Seok ] Changxin Memory Technology (CXMT), China’s largest DRAM manufacturer, has expanded its research and development (R&D) workforce by more than 60% in just one year. CXMT’s R&D workforce has now closed the gap to 78% of SK Hynix’s level. Analysts suggest that this aggressive R&D investment is laying the groundwork for the company’s recent dramatic increase in DRAM market share.

According to CXMT’s 2026 semi-annual report released on the 6th, the number of R&D personnel stood at 7,491 as of the end of June. This represents a 60.9% (2,836-person) increase from the 4,655 recorded during the same period last year. The proportion of R&D personnel among the total workforce rose from 30.42% to 33.42% over the same period. Among the R&D staff, 5,075 held a master’s degree or higher, accounting for 67.75%, and 9 out of 10 (90.55%) were young professionals under the age of 40.

Along with the expansion of the workforce, compensation also improved. Average compensation per employee rose by approximately 34%, from 310,700 yuan in the first half of last year to 416,200 yuan in the first half of this year. If they receive a similar salary in the second half of the year, their annual salary will reach 832,400 yuan (approximately 167 million won). This is about 5.4 times the average annual salary for professional and technical personnel at large enterprises (155,491 yuan as of 2025) reported by the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

CXMT has also expanded its talent recruitment scope from China to overseas. According to Chinese media outlets such as Jiemian News, CXMT recently announced via social media that it will be recruiting for more than 180 positions next year, targeting not only Chinese students but also undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral graduates from overseas universities. The media reported that “the majority of openings are for R&D and technical positions.” For AI researchers, candidates must hold at least a master’s degree, with preference given to Ph.D. holders; job responsibilities include the localization of electronic design automation (EDA) for semiconductors.

CXMT’s R&D workforce has already surpassed three-quarters of SK Hynix’s research staff. According to SK Hynix’s Sustainability Report, as of the end of last year, the company had 9,651 researchers, with the gap between SK Hynix and CXMT (7,491) standing at just 2,160. SK Hynix’s research workforce grew by 6.0% (547 people), from 9,104 in 2024 to 9,651 last year.

Along with the expansion of R&D, CXMT’s market influence is also growing. According to global DRAM revenue market share data released by market research firm Counterpoint Research, CXMT’s share rose by 6 percentage points, from 4% in the second quarter of last year to 10% in the second quarter of this year. This marks the first time the company has achieved a double-digit market share. In contrast, Taiwan’s Nanya, ranked fifth, held a 2% share—just one-fifth of CXMT’s.

CXMT recently began mass production of LPDDR6, the latest mobile DRAM. Industry observers note that by entering the mass production phase about a year after the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) finalized the LPDDR6 standard, CXMT has fully joined the race to transition to next-generation mobile DRAM. Additionally, the U.S. IT media outlet The Information recently reported that CXMT has begun small-scale production of HBM3E. This move is part of the company’s strategy to expand its product portfolio beyond general-purpose DRAM into high-value-added memory for mobile and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Professor Baek Seo-in of Hanyang University stated, “China has an abundant supply of engineering talent, and since CXMT’s starting salaries and benefits are higher than in other industries, the company was likely able to secure a large R&D workforce in a short period of time.” He added, “Given their revenue and profit scales as well as their global standing, it is difficult to say that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have a large enough R&D workforce. To maintain their technological edge, they need to further expand their R&D staff.”