G+D joins CIRES project to bolster critical infrastructure

Giesecke+Devrient has joined the CIRES research project as a technology partner. The initiative brings together 17 organisations from five European countries to work on critical infrastructure resilience.

Known as G+D, the company will develop eSIM and iSIM technologies that incorporate post-quantum cryptography and crypto-agile security mechanisms for communications systems linked to critical infrastructure.

CIRES, short for Critical Infrastructure Resilience through Edge Computing Systems, is focused on creating an end-to-end technology stack for resilient edge computing. The project is intended to help critical systems keep operating during cyberattacks, power outages, communications failures and supply chain disruption, while also enabling controlled recovery.

G+D's role is to develop and integrate secure eSIM and iSIM products for communication systems used in sectors including energy and digital infrastructure. It is targeting eUICC and iUICC platforms with a resilient operating system designed to support changing cryptographic requirements.

The system is intended to serve as a hardware root of trust for identity, authentication and secure communications across multi-RAT environments. It is also designed to support remote management of connectivity profiles throughout a device's lifecycle, allowing operators to adapt to network disruption, carrier changes or new security needs without sending staff to field deployments.

Infrastructure focus

The broader consortium is working across several layers of infrastructure resilience, including embedded artificial intelligence for local decision-making, communication across mixed networks, timing and synchronisation systems, and distributed edge-to-cloud architectures.

Another objective is to increase the use of European hardware and software technologies in critical systems. That reflects a wider policy push in Europe to reduce reliance on external suppliers in strategically important digital and industrial sectors.

The project supports the goals of the European Chips Act through the Chips Joint Undertaking framework. It also receives public funding from Germany's Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.

Real-world validation is planned through demonstrators across a range of use cases. Testing areas include drone-based infrastructure inspection, smart city and smart building services, digital twins for supply chains, energy systems, and monitoring of digital infrastructure.

Quantum risk

The inclusion of post-quantum cryptography reflects growing concern among infrastructure operators and technology suppliers about the long-term viability of current encryption methods. Although quantum computers capable of breaking widely used cryptographic standards are not yet broadly deployed, companies and governments have begun planning migration paths for systems that must remain secure for many years.

In that context, eSIM and iSIM technologies are becoming more important to secure device identity and network access in distributed systems. Their use in critical environments has expanded as utilities, cities and industrial operators connect more field assets that cannot be easily replaced or physically accessed.

G+D is relying on open standards, interoperable security architectures and European technology components in its contribution to the project. The company has longstanding operations in digital security, financial platforms and currency technology, and reported turnover of EUR 3.2 billion in its 2025 fiscal year.

The business employs more than 14,500 people and operates through 118 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 41 countries. Founded in 1852, it has expanded from banknote printing into a broader security technology group with products spanning communications, identity and payments.

Bernd Müller, Head of Technology & Innovation at G+D Mobile Security, outlined the company's position on the project. "Critical infrastructure must be able to communicate securely and reliably, even under exceptional conditions. Our eSIM and iSIM technologies provide the foundation for this: they secure digital identities and enable resilient, seamless connectivity across different communication networks, from 4G and 5G to non-terrestrial networks. Together with our partners in the CIRES project, we are building the foundations for post-quantum-secure security architectures, helping to strengthen Europe's technological sovereignty and future resilience," said Müller.