Insider Brief
- TUMCREATE is leading the secure hardware platform research thrust within the QUASAR-CREATE programme, a three-and-a-half-year initiative bringing together Nanyang Technological University, Fraunhofer@NTU, Technical University of Munich, and National University of Singapore to develop quantum-safe security technologies.
- The research focuses on developing the world’s first fully open-source post-quantum cryptography-secure 64-bit RISC-V processor implementation, integrating hardware-level protection and quantum-resistant cryptography with plans to fabricate the chip using GlobalFoundries’ 180-nanometer process technology in Singapore.
- The secure hardware platform integrates post-quantum cryptographic accelerators, secure operating systems, and trusted execution environments to defend against side-channel and physical attacks, with validation through practical use cases including FIDO2 authentication tokens and future compatibility with quantum key distribution technologies.
PRESS RELEASE — As quantum technologies continue to advance, the resilience and trustworthiness of digital systems have emerged as critical priorities for Singapore’s future infrastructure. Addressing these challenges, TUMCREATE – the research arm of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) funded by the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF) – is playing a key role in QUASAR-CREATE (Quantum Security and Resilience for Emerging Technologies), a three-and-a-half-year research programme.
The QUASAR-CREATE research programme brings together an international consortium comprising Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Fraunhofer@NTU (FSR@NTU), TUMCREATE, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the National University of Singapore (NUS). The programme aims to develop new methods and technologies that strengthen the security and resilience of emerging digital systems in the face of future quantum-enabled threats.
Under the recently launched Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 (RIE2030) plan, Singapore is strengthening its capabilities in semiconductor and quantum-enabled technologies. The security of complex chips and electronic systems becomes a foundational design consideration,” said Professor Ulf Schlichtmann, CEO at TUMCREATE and Principal Investigator of the QUASAR-CREATE project. “QUASAR-CREATE contributes to this effort by advancing research on how security and resilience can be embedded at the hardware and system-design level. By bringing together complementary expertise from Singapore and Germany, the programme supports the development of secure, trustworthy chip technologies that are essential for the future.
Building Resilient Digital Foundations for the Quantum Era
QUASAR focuses on moving beyond conventional cybersecurity approaches by embedding resilience directly into the design of next-generation technologies. By integrating quantum-safe security mechanisms early in the development of digital systems, the programme seeks to ensure that critical infrastructures remain robust, trustworthy, and adaptable amid increasing uncertainty.
The research programme is organised into three coordinated thrusts, forming a complete security pipeline. Within this framework, TUMCREATE leads Thrust 1: Secure Hardware Platform, spearheading research into an open-source, verifiable, and quantum-safe hardware foundation for post quantum security.
TUMCREATE Leads Secure Hardware Platform Research
Together with NTU’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), Thrust 1 focuses on the development of an open and verifiable, quantum-safe RISC-V processor platform, envisioned as a foundational building block for future secure systems. The research is positioned to deliver the world’s first fully open-source post-quantum cryptography (PQC)-secure 64-bit RISC-V
processor implementation, integrating hardware-level protection and quantum-resistant cryptography from the ground up.
Professor Georg Sigl, Principal Investigator at TUM for QUASAR-CREATE, emphasises: “Post-quantum security in resource constraint devices cannot be achieved by software alone. If we want digital systems to remain trustworthy in the era of quantum computing, security must be anchored directly in the hardware architecture. With QUASAR-CREATE, we are integrating quantum-resistant cryptography into a RISC-V processor with the final target to build a fully open-source chip design using open-source technology. The project plans to fabricate the chip using GlobalFoundaries’ 180-nanometre process technology at its manufacturing facilities in Singapore. This approach allows us to build a transparent and verifiable foundation for resilient digital infrastructures of the future.”
By embedding security directly into hardware architecture, the work addresses long-term trust, transparency, and resilience challenges that cannot be adequately mitigated through software solutions alone.
The research integrates both hardware and software-level protection mechanisms to defend against side-channel and physical attacks – threats that are expected to intensify as quantum and other advanced computing technologies mature. Key components include post-quantum cryptographic accelerators, secure operating systems, and trusted execution environments, ensuring protection across the entire computing stack.
To demonstrate real-world applicability, the platform will be validated through practical use cases such as FIDO2 authentication token, with future extensions exploring compatibility with quantum key distribution (QKD) technologies.
Strengthening Singapore’s Quantum Security Research Ecosystem
QUASAR-CREATE exemplifies Singapore’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge, internationally collaborative research with real-world impact. The programme brings together complementary expertise from NTU, NUS, TUM and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, including contributions from the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC), the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nanosystems (ENAS), and Fraunhofer Singapore as an institutional partner.
“As quantum technologies move closer to real-world deployment, ensuring trust and security will be essential for their adoption,” said Principal Investigator, NTU Professor Gwee Bah Hwee, School of EEE. He adds, “QUASAR-CREATE allows us to bring together expertise across institutions to address these challenges proactively, supporting Singapore’s efforts to harness emerging technologies in a secure and sustainable way.”
Through its leadership of the secure hardware thrust, TUMCREATE strengthens research collaboration with NTU in microelectronics – in close partnership with NTU’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) – extending existing educational ties into joint, application-driven research. The programme also opens pathways for engagement with the QUASAR professorship at NTU, funded
by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, reinforcing long-term capability building across research, education, and innovation.
By anchoring advanced quantum security research within Singapore’s research ecosystem, TUMCREATE contributes to the translation of frontier science into deployable, future-ready solutions that support trusted digital infrastructures in the quantum era.
