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, wenjing.gu@gmif.com.cn
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GMIF2026: AI Inference Powers the "Token Factory" and Drives System-Level Rethinking of Memory & Storage
As part of TECNO and artist Angélica Dass's global "100 Portraits of Becoming" project, the new BBC StoryWorks film reveals the personal journeys behind the portraits, bringing to life a shared vision of seeing beyond the image to understand the people behind it.
HONG KONG, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global innovative technology brand TECNO has jointly produced and released a new film with BBC StoryWorks to unveil the project of "100 Portraits of Becoming," a two-year global portrait project co-created by TECNO and internationally acclaimed visual artist Angélica Dass which started from Kenya as the first chapter. Building on TECNO's philosophy of inclusive imaging technology and Angélica Dass's distinctive approach to portraiture, the project plans to bring together 100 portraits and personal stories across five countries, moving beyond visual representation to explore the individuality and humanity behind each portrait. Through the personal journeys featured in the film, audiences gain a glimpse into the energy and aspirations of people navigating today's changing world — how they are finding their own paths, shaping new possibilities and imagining who they want to become.
Watch the full film
The film also explores the shared vision behind TECNO's collaboration with Dass. While TECNO's Universal Tone technology seeks to fairly represent the beauty of different skin tones and human diversity, Dass's work has long challenged the labels and assumptions through which we see others. Together, they bring a shared belief to "100 Portraits of Becoming": that being seen is about more than appearance — it is also about being understood for who we are.
Through the film, this idea comes to life in Kenya, where the first chapter of "100 Portraits of Becoming" began. It introduces some of the people behind the portraits, each with a different story of finding their own way forward. For agripreneur Alex Mutua Muli, opportunity wasn't something to seek elsewhere, but something to create at home. By connecting local farmers to wider markets, he is helping build a future in the community where he grew up. Alexander Odhiambo took a different path, turning an uncertain start to his career into a new beginning. From a small apartment in Nairobi, he co-founded a software company that has since grown to serve markets across Africa, opening doors for others along the way. And for Jelimo Cheboi, what began as a small WhatsApp group became something much bigger. As co-founder of GirlSkate Nairobi, she has helped turn a shared passion for skateboarding into a growing community where girls and women can challenge expectations, find belonging, and express themselves on their own terms.
Their stories are different, but each challenges an assumption about what is possible — whether it is where opportunity can be found, what a career can become, or who gets to belong. Together, they offer a glimpse of the people behind the portraits, whose lives cannot be summed up by a single image or label.
"The beauty of this project was the chance to look beyond an image and let people tell their own stories. Through their passions and experiences, every person we met brought a vibrancy and depth to the film that a single portrait may not fully capture. We hope the film will encourage audiences to see people with a little more curiosity and a little more understanding," said Tom Deakin, Director, Content Strategy at BBC StoryWorks APAC.
"100 Portraits of Becoming" is a two-year global project bringing together 100 portraits and personal stories across Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil. Together, these portraits and stories will form a growing collection that celebrates the many different ways of being human — 100 people, 100 stories and 100 ways to see humanity. Following its first chapter in Kenya, the project will continue its journey to more countries around the world, uncovering new stories, experiences and perspectives on what it means to become. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and the latest updates from "100 Portraits of Becoming" on the BBC StoryWorks project page and "100 Portraits of Becoming" by TECNO and Angelica Dass official website.
About TECNO
As a global innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets, TECNO has been committed to revolutionizing the digital experience in global emerging markets, relentlessly pushing for the perfect integration of contemporary, aesthetic design with the latest technologies and AI. TECNO offers a wide range of smartphones, smart wearables, laptops and tablets, smart gaming, HiOS operating systems and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of "Stop At Nothing," TECNO is committed to unlocking the newest technologies and AI-powered new experiences for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and their best futures. For more information, please visit TECNO's official site: www.tecno-mobile.com.
About "100 Portraits of Becoming" by TECNO and Angélica Dass
"100 Portraits of Becoming" is a global portrait project created by TECNO together with internationally recognized artist Angélica Dass. Over two years, it will produce one hundred portraits across five countries — Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil — pairing Dass's portrait methodology with TECNO's Universal Tone inclusive imaging technology. Each portrait moves beyond a face to the person behind it: to lives unfolding across different cultures, generations and moments of social change. One hundred portraits become one hundred ways of seeing humanity — and one growing archive of who we are, told by the people living it. To learn more, please visit: https://www.tecno-mobile.com/100portraitsofbecoming/.
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TECNO and BBC StoryWorks Unveil New Film Exploring the Human Stories Behind "100 Portraits of Becoming"
