For security-critical semiconductors GlobalFoundries and Qualinx Demonstrate First European Sovereign Manufacturing Flow

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First fully European chip manufacturing flow implemented for aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure applications.

GlobalFoundries (GF) and Qualinx today announced the successful implementation of the first fully European end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing flow on the FDX technology platform at GF's fab in Dresden (Germany). This milestone demonstrates that security-critical chips for aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure applications can be designed, manufactured and delivered entirely within Europe.

Within the partnership, Qualinx serves as the launch customer with a highly integrated GNSS SoC design for secure positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) applications. The QLX3xx design targets sovereign GNSS-based PNT solutions for aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure applications, including resilient timing and synchronisation networks as well as highly integrated, ultra-low-power GNSS receivers at the connected edge.

GF and Qualinx set benchmarks for GF's European Sovereign Manufacturing

Supported by the European Chips Act, GF's fab in Dresden (Germany) is establishing European Sovereign Manufacturing, which consolidates all process steps, from design intake and secure mask services to wafer manufacturing, within the European Union. Neither sensitive design data nor physical materials leave Europe, ensuring compliance with the strict regulatory and security requirements of European governments, defence authorities, system integrators and operators of critical infrastructure.

"We are demonstrating that Europe can rely on a secure, end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing flow that meets the highest aerospace and defence requirements," said Dr Manfred Horstmann, Senior Vice President and General Manager at GlobalFoundries. "Our partnership with Qualinx marks the first operational milestone. It proves that complex, security-relevant ASIC designs for aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure can already be industrialised today through a fully European and trusted manufacturing path."

"This first secure product demonstrates that a fully European manufacturing path, from mask services to wafer production, is already a reality today," said Tom Trill, CEO of Qualinx. "Together with GlobalFoundries, we have optimised our Digital RF technology on GF's FDX platform for a secure end-to-end flow and are now bringing our ultra-low-power, reconfigurable GNSS SoC with analogue front end to market. This milestone highlights our ability to deliver trusted, energy-efficient solutions while maintaining full control of IP, data and the supply chain within Europe."

Roadmap: scaling European Sovereign Manufacturing

The tape-out achieved with Qualinx represents the first operational milestone towards a fully automated Trusted European Flow, which GF intends to establish in Dresden (Germany) by the end of 2026. From 2027 onwards, customers from the aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure sectors will be able to utilise this flow as part of standard foundry engagements, including the integration of European IP partners, mask houses and OSAT service providers to ensure a value chain anchored entirely within Europe.

A number of European system and module manufacturers from the aerospace and defence sectors, as well as operators of critical infrastructure, are already in discussions with GF regarding the migration of future product generations to European Sovereign Manufacturing. The successful launch with Qualinx serves as a reference project and reduces both technical and regulatory risks for follow-on programmes.

To further strengthen European Sovereign Manufacturing for security-critical applications, GF is also collaborating with leading European connectivity and cloud providers to secure data flows across the entire semiconductor value chain. In a joint project with Deutsche Telekom, GF is currently evaluating how production-related data, from design and tape-out through manufacturing and testing to quality data, can be processed, transmitted and stored entirely within Europe using European networks, cloud infrastructures and data centres. Insights gained from this work, including secure routing, encryption and access management for highly sensitive aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure workloads, are being incorporated directly into the further development and scaling of GF's European Sovereign Manufacturing model.