Cooperative Research Projects

Collaborative research projects focus on development of technologies and solutions beyond the state of the art. These projects are partially funded and subsidized by local (German or regional) governments as well as the European Union (EU) to promote German and European technological leadership. Projects are usually comprised of a consortium of industrial and academic partners ranging from institutions such as large industries, SMEs, research institutions, or universities. This initiative provides NXP the opportunity to work closely with partners and customers on the cutting-edge innovation topics (in sync with internal strategy/roadmap), with reduced risk and the ability to influence future standards, regulations, and policies.

Major Funding Agencies

Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI)

  • NXP is committed to expanding research, development and manufacturing efforts in Europe, and each of these three critical elements must be successfully integrated to achieve greater European semiconductor ecosystem sovereignty. Through the IPCEI ME/CT, NXP will strengthen and accelerate cutting edge microelectronic development of products for automotive, IoT and 6G.

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    • * SACHSEN: This project is co-financed with tax revenue based on an approved budget by the Saxon State Parliament

    NXP is the only company in Europe that is involved with four countries as a direct participant with approximately 1,000 engineers contributing to a sustainable and sovereign microelectronics sector. For example, in Germany NXP is performing research and development on 5nm Automotive Microprocessors, 6G Testbeds, cutting-edge Radar Systems and key technology such as AI, RISC-V and Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) in the FUTURE ME project.

    Active Projects

    • SEMECO Cluster Project

      NXP Semiconductor's Germany GmbH is part of Secure Medical Microsystems and Communications (SEMECO) , the collaborative research project cluster under the Clusters4future  initiative, funded by the German ministry of research, technology and space (BMFTR) . Acting as a technology partner, NXP is providing its latest healthcare edge AI products for secure connectivity for the smart hospitals of the future. NXP is also working with industry partners like Siemens Healthineers and Vodafone as well as research/academic partners on multiple innovative topics. These include the heterogenous, reliable, scalable and trustworthy communication platform (Q3), high data rate (~100Gbps) wireless communication for next gen CT scanner (A1) and Secure identification of high-risk medication and its regulations (A7).

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    • Igel-AI

      The cooperative project "Igel-AI" explores cutting-edge AI technologies that enhance the security of future mobile networks in the face of increasingly dynamic threats. The consortium focuses on developing AI-driven methods that strengthen network protection—particularly within the core network—by enabling early detection of attacks and anomalies through holistic security approaches. NXP contributes by deploying and advancing its edge AI hardware solutions, aiming not only to identify emerging threats but also to actively defend against them at the edge node. By leveraging AI directly on the edge platform, NXP seeks to optimize threat mitigation strategies and reinforce network resilience against future AI-powered attacks.

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    • SHASAI

      SHASAI aims to secure AI systems across their lifecycle by: Definition of a standards-based, trustworthy AI development framework, analysis of security needs from real-world AI use cases, a secure AI supply chain from development to deployment, secure-by-design SW and HW, tests of AI security using a virtual platform, development of AI-driven services for real-time threat detection, operating a platform for continuous AI security assessment, validation in real-world environments. NXP’s work focusses on threat modeling, anomaly detection, and AI model protection, with a strong emphasis on Secure AI supply chain and vulnerability analysis

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    • SUSTAINET

      As our society moves toward a hyperconnected, all-electric future, the resilience and security of digital infrastructure become more crucial than ever. SUSTAINET-GUARDIAN addresses this challenge by developing innovative solutions at the intersection of critical infrastructure protection, AI efficiency, and cybersecurity. The project focuses on increasing the robustness of communication systems against disruptions, disasters, and cyber threats—particularly in sectors where failure is not an option, such as energy, healthcare, and transportation. At the same time, the project explores scalable AI and data processing strategies to manage the growing complexity of networks. This includes the development of efficient, distributed frameworks for telemetry and AI model management. By integrating intelligent network operations with next-generation cybersecurity and operational technology (OT) controls, SUSTAINET-GUARDIAN helps to lay the foundation for a secure, stable, and energy-conscious digital society.

      NXP Contribution:

      • Development of a scalable and energy-efficient edge computing architecture that enables complex network automation and AI models to be implemented directly at the edge of the network. This architecture enables efficient processing and analysis of data in real time, which contributes significantly to optimizing network stability and quick response times to critical events
      • Development of a SmartGrid demonstrator. This demonstrator is intended to integrate and evaluate the technologies and methods developed in the project in a realistic environment. The focus here is on improving the resilience, efficiency and security of intelligent power grids through the use of cutting-edge technologies such as edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and resource-efficient AI accelerators.
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    • FOCAL

      The FOCAL project aims to create a unified, practical framework for end-to-end post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in edge systems and networks. It integrates cryptographic functions across hardware, software, and communication layers, while also guiding policy and standardization efforts in line with EU objectives. The core innovations of FOCAL are:

      • Crypto agility via hardware reconfigurability
      • Network instrumentation and orchestration
      • Enhanced PQC key generation, encapsulation and storage
      • Distributed Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs)

      NXP Contribution: Evaluate and Improve PQC Hardware: Assess and enhance PQC accelerators for low-power medical IoT devices. Secure Device Lifecycle: Design end-to-end security using secure boot, updates, provisioning, and cloud communication. Define PQC integration needs: Establish requirements for embedding PQC in medical IoT use cases based on low-power edge devices. Enhance Tools & Protocols: integrate PQC analysis tools and ensure lifecycle security.

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