THALES DIS FRANCE SAS

Their core work

Thales DIS France (Digital Identity and Security) is a division of the Thales Group focused on hardware security, secure microcontrollers, and trusted computing platforms. They design secure System-on-Chip architectures, root-of-trust solutions, and trusted execution environments for critical infrastructure and IoT applications. Their work spans from silicon-level security (secure MCUs, RISC-V platforms) to system-level cybersecurity for energy grids and industrial networks. They bring deep expertise in embedding security at the hardware manufacturing level — a capability few European companies offer at this scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest H2020 work (2018) centered on cross-domain cybersecurity for automated systems — a broad, system-level focus. From 2021 onward, they shifted decisively toward hardware-rooted security: secure SoCs, RISC-V root-of-trust, trusted execution environments, and silicon-level manufacturing security. This evolution shows a clear move from software-layer cybersecurity down to the hardware trust anchor, reflecting the industry trend that security must be embedded at the chip level to be meaningful.

Thales DIS is moving toward RISC-V-based hardware security platforms and trusted computing for edge AI — expect them to seek projects combining secure hardware with AI deployment in critical infrastructure.

How they like to work

Thales DIS operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator, which is typical for large corporate entities contributing specialized technical components to research consortia. With 155 unique partners across 25 countries in just 4 projects, they participate in large, multi-national consortia (averaging ~39 partners per project). This makes them a reliable industrial partner who brings real-world product expertise without seeking project management overhead.

Despite only 4 projects, Thales DIS has built a remarkably wide network of 155 unique partners across 25 European countries, reflecting their participation in large-scale flagship consortia. Their reach is pan-European with no evident geographic concentration beyond France.

What sets them apart

Thales DIS brings something rare to EU consortia: they are one of the few large European companies that can contribute actual hardware security product expertise — secure microcontrollers, SoC design, and silicon-level trust anchors — not just research concepts. Their parent company (Thales Group) is a global leader in digital identity and security, meaning project results have a credible path to market deployment. For any consortium needing an industrial partner who can ground cybersecurity research in real, manufacturable hardware, Thales DIS is a strong candidate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SPIRS
  Addresses the full stack of hardware trust — from silicon manufacturing to remote attestation — combining RISC-V, trusted execution, and privacy mechanisms in a single security platform.
• StorAIge
  Largest single funding (EUR 464,560) and bridges secure hardware with AI-on-the-edge, signaling Thales DIS's move into intelligent secure embedded systems.
• ELECTRON
  Unusual cross-sector application: applying cybersecurity and software-defined networking to protect electrical power nanogrids, demonstrating security expertise applied to energy infrastructure.