NVIDIA and Corning Incorporated announced a multiyear commercial and technology partnership May 6 to dramatically expand United States-based manufacturing of optical connectivity solutions powering artificial intelligence infrastructure. NVIDIA will invest up to $3.2 billion in Corning through warrants and pre-funded warrants tied to company shares, marking one of the largest manufacturing partnerships in the AI sector.
“We’re going through the single largest infrastructure buildout in human history,” Huang said on Wednesday. “Artificial intelligence is going to become fundamental infrastructure all over the world, and surely here in the United States.”
Corning will increase its US-based optical connectivity manufacturing capacity by 10 times and expand fiber production capacity by more than 50% to meet accelerating demand from AI factory buildouts. The company plans to construct three new advanced manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas while creating more than 3,000 high-paying American jobs.
NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang described the initiative as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate American manufacturing and supply chains following decades of offshoring. Huang emphasized that AI infrastructure buildout represents the largest such expansion of the current era. The partnership ensures intelligence moves at the speed of light while advancing Made in America traditions, Huang stated.
Corning chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks called NVIDIA’s commitment extraordinary not only for artificial intelligence’s future but also for the American advanced manufacturing workforce. Weeks emphasized the partnership proves AI represents a manufacturing story happening in the United States. The collaboration ensures critical technologies powering AI systems are invented, engineered, and built domestically rather than overseas.
The partnership brings together two infrastructure companies benefiting significantly from the AI boom. Corning shares climbed more than 250% over the past year following a recent deal with Meta worth up to $6 billion. Investors reacted positively as Corning shares jumped 12% while NVIDIA stock climbed nearly 6% following the disclosure. The collaboration signals a major shift in how future AI data centers operate as systems grow larger and consume more electricity.
