GMIF2026: AI Inference Powers the "Token Factory" and Drives System-Level Rethinking of Memory & Storage

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 5th GMIF Innovation Summit (Global Memory Innovation Forum 2026, GMIF2026) recently concluded in Shenzhen. Co-hosted by the Shenzhen Memory Industry Association (SMIA) and the School of Integrated Circuits at Peking University, the summit was themed "The Future Built on AI Memory and Storage," with discussions spanning technology innovation, industry trends, and real-world AI applications.

The summit opened with remarks from Rixin Sun, President of the SMIA, who noted that as AI shifts from generative to agentic, inference efficiency and system coordination have become shared priorities, and GMIF will keep building a more diverse global platform for the AI value chain.

Capital Meets Technology: Memory & Storage Moves to the Center of AI Infrastructure

Daniel Yen of Morgan Stanley projected that AI capex continues to climb, with more than half of cloud data center capex expected to go to memory and storage (excluding HBM) by 2027. Prof. Yimao Cai from Peking University pointed to HBF and heterogeneous architectures combining HBM, NAND, and RRAM as a way to balance performance, capacity, and cost.

Kevin Yoon from Samsung outlined progress on Z-NAND, PCIe Gen6 SSDs, and ultra-high-capacity data center SSDs. Sandisk highlighted NAND's expanding role in AI infrastructure and QLC adoption, while Solidigm showed how pairing high-capacity QLC SSDs with high-performance storage enables memory offloading and data tiering. Arm emphasized that inference demands holistic optimization across compute, memory, storage, and data movement.

Moving from cloud to edge, Silicon Motion shared devices are the ultimate carrier of AI experiences, and its PerformaShape technology allocates resources flexibly across agents to improve read/write consistency. BIWIN mentioned that scenarios from data centers to on-device applications each call for distinct memory and storage, and it is leveraging full-stack capabilities for customized solutions.

Token Factories Move Enterprise AI from Pilot to Production

Lenovo ISG China introduced the "token factory" concept, describing how enterprise AI is moving from compute buildout to systematic operations. Numbers Law and NEXWISE showed how storage hardware connects to compute scheduling and model operations. Infplane and Genstoraige lowered the barrier to on-device large models through AI SSD tiering, while OKN Technology addressed test equipment for PCIe 6.0 SSDs under real-world workloads. SYNCORE, Dify, and Paratera advanced vehicle-cloud intelligence, private AI agents, and MaaS platforms.

Beyond the Sessions: Exhibition, Awards, Global Livestream and Golf Match

Alongside the keynotes, GMIF2026 offered a broader program. The concurrent exhibition hosted 40 exhibitors, offering a real-world snapshot of the memory and storage solutions shaping the AI era. As evening settled in, the spotlight turned to the GMIF2026 Annual Awards, where 33 companies were celebrated for driving progress across the industry chain, from breakthrough technologies to the AI infrastructure that powers it all.

The showcase extended to international audiences through the GMIF2026 Global Livestream by Memory Brands, where eight companies presented their latest products, technologies, and innovations for the AI era. And the next day's "BIWIN Cup" golf match kept conversations among technology, capital, and markets going.

Conclusion

Across the summit program, one message stood out: global AI competition is moving beyond the "single-point era" of peak GPU performance into a "system-level era" that integrates memory, compute, networking, and software. In the token economy, memory and storage is shedding its auxiliary role and becoming the strategic foundation of AI inference. Going forward, GMIF will keep connecting key players across the global memory value chain to promote joint standards, technology development, and market expansion.

Learn more, please visit https://www.gmif.com.cn/. Follow GMIF on LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook.

Media Contact: Carina Gu, [email protected]

SOURCE Shenzhen Memory Industry Association (SMIA)