BTQ Technologies and ICTK Complete Design of Next-Generation QCIM-PUF Security Chip

BTQ Technologies Corp. and ICTK Co., Ltd. have completed the design of their next-generation QCIM security chip integrating VIA PUF™ technology. The achievement advances a collaboration that began with a memorandum of understanding in May 2025 and expanded through a €13.9 million ($15 million USD) development and joint investment agreement in October 2025. The resulting hardware platform targets IoT, AI devices, industrial systems, secure elements, and connected infrastructure, combining cryptographic agility with silicon-level device authentication to support trusted identity in environments requiring long-term cryptographic resilience. Production preparation is now underway.

QCIM Cryptographic Accelerator and VIA PUF Integration

BTQ’s QCIM is a soft IP cryptographic accelerator architecture designed to support both classical and post-quantum cryptography functions in a compact, low-power block. By executing cryptographic operations inside the memory subsystem, QCIM reduces latency, power consumption, and data movement while enabling crypto-agile security across varied chip architectures and connected devices.

Integration with ICTK’s VIA PUF technology establishes a hardware root of trust. Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) technology generates unique device identities from microscopic manufacturing variations in silicon. ICTK’s VIA PUF is fully passive and error-correction-code free, deriving each chip’s identity from randomness distributed across hundreds of thousands of logic vias. This approach provides enhanced stability over conventional SRAM-based PUFs and strong resistance to reverse engineering:

• Supports crypto-agile security aligned with evolving post-quantum standards
• Enables hardware-rooted authentication for high-assurance networks
• Targets edge devices and industrial systems requiring durable device identity