How OpenAI is Restructuring its Domestic Supply Chain

OpenAI, the company responsible for ChatGPT, is shifting its focus toward the physical infrastructure required to sustain the next era of digital development.

The company has initiated an extensive Request for Proposals (RFP) to restructure its hardware supply chain as part of a strategic blueprint spanning the next decade.

This initiative, announced on 15 January, 2026, is designed to localise advanced manufacturing and secure a dominant position in what the company identifies as the Intelligence Age.

The programme aims to establish a robust ecosystem within the United States for the components that will define the coming years, including robotics, consumer electronics and the data centres required to power increasingly complex models.

This RFP outlines a vision that moves beyond software development and into the production of silicon, motors and cooling systems. The company is seeking partners to facilitate a shift back to domestic production to ensure supply chain stability.

According to the RFP document: "OpenAI has a long-term ambition to establish US-based hardware manufacturing and assembly that reflects US values, supports resilient supply chains, and fosters national innovation leadership".

This objective is based on the idea that the infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence could be as vital as the algorithms themselves.

Focusing on hardware supply chains

The expansion is structured around three primary sectors which require a sophisticated network of manufacturers and suppliers.

In the consumer devices sector, the company is moving into final assembly and the creation of advanced displays and optics. This could indicate a future where branded hardware from the company becomes a standard feature of daily life. Within robotics, the company is looking for actuators, gearboxes and power electronics to help integrate its technology into physical workspaces.

The third area of focus involves data centres, which could be the most capital-intensive part of the plan. This sector includes infrastructure such as generators and advanced cooling technologies like chillers.

According to the RFP document: "Over the next 10 years, OpenAI seeks to localise significant portions of the manufacturing for its hardware devices and data centres, including key components, modules and final assembly".

Strengthening domestic production capacity

This new initiative follows the progress of the Stargate Project which launched in March 2025. The company has already made advancements toward its 10-gigawatt power commitment and its capacity plans are reportedly past the halfway mark.

Leadership at the company suggests that "infrastructure has long been destiny when it comes to America's economic success, and that will be especially true in the Intelligence Age".

By investing in domestic production, the company seeks to "catalyse US manufacturing, modernise our energy grid, create well-paid jobs and strengthen American leadership." The strategy highlights a commitment to rebuilding industrial strength while ensuring that the next generation of technological tools is built using local expertise and resources.

All supply chain, procurement, sustainability, Scope 3 and net zero leaders should attend:

• Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Sustainability LIVE, these events brings together CSCOs, CSOs and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.

Developing a broad component ecosystem

While discussions regarding the sector often focus solely on chips, the company suggests the reality is more complex.

The RFP document notes that "advanced AI depends on a much broader ecosystem of physical components: the racks, cabling, networking gear, cooling systems, power systems, power electronics, electromechanical modules and testing and assembly capacity are all required to bring it all online at scale".

This move could signal a transition where the digital capabilities of a company are tethered to its ability to manage and produce physical hardware. The project signals a shift in how procurement and supply chain management function within the technology sector.

By focusing on the acquisition of precision bearings and power systems, OpenAI is positioning itself as a major player in industrial manufacturing. This strategy could mean that the company intends to control its entire value chain from the initial code to the final assembly of the machines that run it.