German chip firms gain funds for security research

Technology News | August 19, 2021

By Peter Clarke

PLDs/FPGAs/ASICs Sensing / Conditioning Analog Software & Embedded tools Optoelectronics Artificial Intelligence MPUs/MCUs Materials & processes EDA & CAD tools RF transmission IoT Memory & Data Storage Automotive Wireless Communications Authentication & Encryption

The project runs for three years from March 2021 to February 2024 and is valued at €16.28 million (about US$19 million) with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) providing 61 percent of the money; €9.92 million (about US$11.6 million), plus a project lump sum of €0.25 million to participating universities.

VE-VIDES stands for Design methods and hardware/software co-verification for the unique identifiability of electronic components and its intend to help electronics and end-user industries work together on holistic security concept for the Internet of Things.

VE-VIDES is researching trustworthy development and verification processes, which give electronic systems verifiable and, whenever possible, quantifiable protection against attacks. These attacks principally come from Internet hacking or electrical, optical or physical system attacks.

The project is looking into whether IP design and verification flows could ensure the trustworthiness of security-critical electronics systems in particular. It follows an application-oriented approach, bringing together companies from important industry sectors such as automotive and Industry 4.0 with supplier, development and research partners.

“In VE-VIDES our focus is on securing the trustworthiness of system hardware while taking the direct interfaces to trustworthy firmware and software components into account,” said Infineon’s Djones Lettnin, who leads the project.

Project members: