BTQ Technologies and ITRI further quantum computation collaboration

BTQ Technologies is entering into the next phase of collaboration with ITRI to develop a security chip using QCIM (Quantum Computation in Memory) technology to compute Kyber, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standardized algorithm. A memorandum of understanding has been executed to reflect the intentions of both parties.

In 2022, BTQ entered a multi-year collaboration with ITRI to develop energy-efficient post-quantum hardware solutions for applications in blockchain, telecom, and other industries needing long-term data security. During the first phase of collaboration, BTQ and ITRI successfully validated the proof of concept of applying computation-in-memory in an ASIC chip.

BTQ is entering into this new project phase with ITRI to further the collaboration. The goal is to harness CIM technology to enhance the energy efficiency of computation-intensive ASICs. This will reduce data movements in traditional architectures and improve the chip's efficiency and performance, especially for NIST-selected PQC algorithms.

BTQ and ITRI emphasize balancing high performance with low power consumption in designing this ASIC accelerator. In July 2022, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) officially announced standardized algorithms from Round 3 of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Competition. Kyber is one of the Public-Key Encryptions standardized by NIST that enables network entities to establish shared secrets via insecure communication channels, essential for protecting data confidentiality using symmetric cryptosystems.

BTQ and ITRI intend to use QCIM to speed up critical computation in Kyber.

"CIM technology can potentially improve the energy efficiency of computation-intensive ASICs by reducing the data movements in traditional von Neumann architecture,” said Professor Wei-Chih Hong, Head of Hardware Engineering at BTQ. “Our previous work with ITRI has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of transferring CIM architecture from AI to post-quantum hash function computation. Based on the results, we continue to develop an advanced CIM architecture suitable for scaled-up computations in NIST-selected PQC algorithms.”

He added, "we are collaborating with an expanded ITRI team to design a CIM-enabled accelerator for Kyber, and we are excited about the efficiency and performance improvements this chip will bring."

 Dr. Chris Lu, ITRI's Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories’ department manager, agreed. "The computations required for PQC algorithms demand significant computational resources,” Liu said. “Designing an ASIC accelerator that balances high performance and low power consumption presents a challenge. It must possess flexibility and programmability to accommodate various PQC algorithms and their variants. A modular, scalable, and reconfigurable design allows easy customization to specific application scenarios, enabling quick adaptation to new algorithms. We employ a HW/SW co-design approach to seamlessly integrate CIM technology with existing ecosystems."

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