The UK government has announced up to £21 million in new funding to boost cyber security by embedding advanced protections directly into the hardware of digital systems. This investment, delivered through Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will help ensure that everything from critical infrastructure to household devices benefits from stronger, built-in defences.
At the core of this initiative is Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions (CHERI), an innovative technology that can block up to 70% of common cyber attacks by addressing vulnerabilities at the hardware level. Since many cyber threats exploit software bugs, integrating CHERI into computer chips provides a powerful first line of defence against data theft, system hijacking and other malicious activities.
The funding aims to strengthen vital services relied upon by people and businesses across sectors such as energy, healthcare, transport and manufacturing.
As part of the programme, Innovate UK has announced the winners of two major competitions. Nearly £15 million from the Advancing CHERI RISC-V Devices competition will support three companies—EnSilica, SCI Semiconductor and LowRISC—to incorporate CHERI-enabled technology into commercial hardware products. Another £6.1 million will support five projects led by SCI Semiconductor, the University of Manchester, Capabilities Limited, the University of Birmingham and Sensor IT to develop software and tools that accelerate market adoption.
Together, this investment will help transition CHERI from world-leading UK research into widely available technology, ensuring that both the hardware and supporting software ecosystem are ready for broad use.
The announcement comes as the UK continues to expand its £13.2 billion cyber sector. Cyber Security Minister Liz Lloyd highlighted the importance of CHERI in building safer digital systems, noting that it provides protection from the ground up for everything from smart home devices to hospital and transport systems.
The minister’s visit to the North West—home to 10% of UK cyber jobs—includes stops at the NCC Group and the Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub, where she will meet innovators working to bring advanced cyber security solutions to market.
The initiative also includes the creation of the CHERI Centre for Software and Tools, led by The Good Penguin, which will serve as a hub for software and tools needed to facilitate business adoption of CHERI technology.
Industry leaders welcomed the announcement, with EnSilica emphasising the contribution to a robust UK technology supply chain, while SCI Semiconductor highlighted the integration of post-quantum cryptography and Google’s Kelvin AI accelerator in its next-generation microcontroller—an advancement expected to deliver one of the most secure and intelligent chips available.
Technology partners Microsoft and Google also expressed support, underscoring the importance of CHERI-enabled platforms in creating more secure and trustworthy systems.
