Huawei Announces Breakthrough in High-Bandwidth Memory Technology
Today, Huawei unveiled a groundbreaking software innovation in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology that could significantly reduce its dependence on US chips. The Unified Cache Manager (UCM) was introduced at the 2025 Financial AI Reasoning Application Landing and Development Forum in Shanghai. This advancement, as per Huawei’s data storage product line head Zhou Yuefeng, can slash AI inference latency by up to 90% and enhance system throughput by up to 22 times.
The UCM algorithm is designed to optimize memory usage by distributing data based on varying latency requirements, moving memory-intensive operations from traditional HBM to boost overall efficiency. Huawei’s decision to open-source UCM in September marks a strategic move, particularly amid escalating US restrictions on exporting cutting-edge HBM technologies to China.
With China’s access to advanced HBMs curtailed due to US sanctions, domestic memory chip manufacturers are under immense pressure to bridge this gap with limited success. Huawei’s latest development is viewed as a crucial step towards empowering China’s chip industry by leveraging software to enhance the capabilities of lower-grade chips amidst the challenging geopolitical landscape.
