Advanced cyber protections capable of blocking up to 70% of the most common cyber attacks will soon be embedded into digital technology that powers everything from critical national infrastructure to consumer electronics, supported by up to £21 million from Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
This investment is part of a much wider effort to stop memory safety bugs being exploited by hackers, which is one of the biggest causes in global security incidents. Research from Google and Microsoft shows that around 70% of cyber vulnerabilities stem from memory safety flaws. High-profile cases such as the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack, which caused an estimated $4 billion in damages, demonstrate the hefty economic and societal impact of these vulnerabilities.
Funding of over £80 million has been pledged by the UK government into world-class UK research for CHERI, along with £200 million of industrial co-investment to build architectural defences in these systems to fight off software bugs.
By reducing the likelihood and impact of cyber attacks, CHERI increases the resilience of digital systems and enables businesses in healthcare, manufacturing and energy and transport to adopt digital technologies with greater confidence.
The new £21 million funding accelerates CHERI’s transition from cutting-edge research into commercial products that can be deployed across the UK in the years ahead.
Innovate UK has announced the winners of two major competitions. £15 million from the Advancing CHERI RISC-V Devices competition will support EnSilica, SCI Semiconductor and LowRISC in bringing CHERI-enabled hardware into production-ready devices.
A further £6.1 million will fund supporting tools and software across SCI Semiconductor, University of Manchester, Capabilities Limited, University of Birmingham and Sensor IT to bring software tools to market faster.
The announcement coincides with a visit by Cyber Security Minister Liz Lloyd to the North West – home to 10% of UK cyber jobs – to meet regional innovators at NCC Group and the Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub, a GCHQ-based centre supporting SMEs across technology, defence and cyber.
The government introduced new Cyber Security laws to Parliament yesterday, protecting the vital infrastructure and services that keep the country moving and the economy growing.
Cyber Security Minister Liz Lloyd said: “CHERI changes the game for cyber security, enabling us to build defences directly into device hardware. It can shut down up to 70% of the most common cyber attacks at source, helping protect everything from the smart devices in our homes to the systems that keep hospitals running and transport moving”.
Ian Lankshear, CEO of EnSilica said:
“As a leading silicon chip maker, we are delighted to have our secure processor chip chosen by the UK Government for this Contract for Innovation. This will expand our products by offering a CHERI-enabled secure processor chip as a commercial off-the-shelf product, not only putting CHERI-enabled devices into the hands of product developers and strengthening their security capabilities, but also contributing to a more robust and resilient UK technology supply chain.”
UKRI is backing £21 million of new technology to stop cyber‑attacks, showing how strong, secure identity systems are more important than ever. At Identity Week Europe 2026, the focus is on building trusted, resilient identity solutions, and this level of innovation is exactly what the events are all about.
