Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
IDS – Trusted Electronics
© denisismagilov - stock.adobe.com

© denisismagilov - stock.adobe.com

RISC‑V Secure Element – Hardware Root of Trust for sovereign SoCs

System-on-Chip solutions for future-proof technological sovereignty

Our OpenTitan-based RISC‑V secure element reliably protects hardware devices against current and future threats. It combines classical and post‑quantum cryptography and anchors core security functions directly in silicon. These include secure key storage, secure boot, authentication, protected communication, and trusted firmware updates. Features such as real-time monitoring, lifecycle management, and authenticated debugging enable a scalable security solution for industrial, automotive, IoT, robotics, and other safety‑critical application domains.

Developed and manufactured in Europe, the secure element supports regulatory requirements such as the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) already at the chip level.

At a glance: Technical keyfacts and benefits

KEyfacts Benefits
  • Hardened 100 MHz 32‑bit Ibex core (RISC‑V RV32IMCB)
  • Hardware‑based secure boot and authenticated firmware updates
  • DICE‑based identity management and remote attestation
  • Integrated key storage with standardized crypto APIs
  • Hardware acceleration for classical and post‑quantum cryptography
  • Integrated entropy source (prepared for NIST and BSI compliance)
  • Protection against side‑channel and fault‑injection attacks
  • Memory and bus scrambling with active security‑event handling
  • Prepared for Common Criteria EAL4+ certification
  • Can be used as a standalone microcontroller or as a SoC component
  • European development and manufacturing (GlobalFoundries 22FDX®, packaging in Europe)
  • Suitable for small production runs and custom designs
  • Extensible through application‑ and customer‑specific instruction set extensions and co‑processors
  • Future‑proof through hardware support for additional algorithms, e.g. Falcon (FN‑DSA) or FrodoKEM
  • ITAR‑free

Our Offer: sovereign, certifiable security – designed for long‑term sustainability

We develop customer‑specific hardware security solutions based on RISC‑V, ranging from configurable secure‑element IPs to complete secure ASIC and SoC implementations. We support the entire development cycle, from architecture and silicon design through to certification readiness.

  • Support for integration and customer‑specific adaptations
  • FPGA implementation for testing and prototyping
  • Chip development and engineering support
  • Foundry and packaging services
  • Support for application development
  • Assistance with documentation and certification processes

Applications: Scalable hardware security for connected and safety‑critical systems

The flexible RISC‑V‑based hardware security architecture enables deployment in safety‑critical domains ranging from cloud infrastructures to embedded and cyber‑physical systems. Hardware‑based root‑of‑trust functions, cryptographic acceleration, and secure identity management ensure an end‑to‑end chain of trust across system boundaries. The scalable security IP is designed for SoC designs, secure elements, and custom ASIC implementations, supporting applications with high requirements for trustworthiness, compliance, and cyber resilience.

Cloud and IT Infrastructure
  • Multi‑tenant key management
  • TLS offloading
  • Confidential computing
  • Key Management Services (KMS)
  • TLS certificate management
  • Securing APIs and microservices
  • Secrets management
Healthcare
  • Patient data signing
  • Access control
Automotive
  • Secure boot and firmware authentication
  • OTA update signing
  • V2X communication (e.g., car‑to‑car certificates)
  • Keyless entry and immobilizer systems
Industry and IOT
  • Device identities (X.509 certificates)
  • Secure machine‑to‑machine communication
  • Firmware updates for critical installations
Government and Public Sector

    Secure communication systems for governmental and military applications

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