Spain invests in chips and cybersecurity center, with digital identity firms involved

Spain is establishing a cybersecurity and microelectronics center as part of its digital transformation.

The €19.6m ($22.4m) investment by Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration will establish the center in Murcia, a region in southeast Spain, with involvement from companies with expertise in chips, authentication, encryption, identity and blockchain.

“The council of ministers announced today the launch of Quantix, an ambitious public-private joint venture with a total investment of €40m,” the announcement from the ministry says.

“The venture includes OdinS, a spin-off from the University of Murcia, Murcia-based TProtege, and Switzerland-based WISeKey and France-based SEALSQ, both listed on NASDAQ.”

Quantix is the name given to the Spanish project, which aligns with the EU’s aim of digital transformation and technological sovereignty. Quantix positions Murcia as a center for the development of secure microchips, cybersecurity, post-quantum technology, AI and RISC-V systems.

“The establishment of Quantix Edge Security will centralize part of the value chain in a single location in the Region of Murcia, reducing reliance on non-European suppliers for microchip design and manufacturing,” the announcement reads.

“Due to cybersecurity regulations being standardized by national agencies, Quantix’s target market focuses on post-quantum-resistant products, which, by 2030, will be essential for governmental applications such as passports and defense, as well as sensitive private-sector applications.”

The investment will be managed by SETT (Spanish Society for Technological Transformation), a public entity recently established by the Spanish government to invest in and support “strategic and emerging projects that advance Spain’s technological transformation.”

Carlos Moreira, founder and CEO of WISeKey and SEALSQ, commented: “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the government of Spain and the region of Murcia for this ambitious and strategic initiative, which not only strengthens national cybersecurity capabilities but also positions the region as a European leader in the development of key technologies such as post-quantum semiconductors.”

SEALSQ designs quantum-resistant microcontrollers and ASICs, integrating NIST-standard post-quantum algorithms, and produces semiconductors specifically designed to withstand quantum threats. WISeKey specializes in digital identity and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), post-quantum trust roots, IoT devices and certified blockchain platforms.

OdinS, with WISeKey and SEALSQ, is involved in international initiatives such as European (ETSI EN 303 645) and U.S. (NIST IR 8425) regulations, which mandate digital identity for connected devices. TProtege and OdinS founder and CEO José Trigueros, along with Moreira, celebrated the initiative to place Murcia and Spain on the European map for semiconductors and cybersecurity.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  cybersecurity  |  digital identity  |  microchips  |  public-private partnerships  |  Quantix  |  Spain  |  tech sovereignty  |  WISeKey