SEALSQ, WISeKey and Canton of Jura Sign MoU to Establish a Swiss Post-Quantum Semiconductor and Cybersecurity Center
Non-binding MoU outlines a six-year, CHF 40–60 million Swiss post-quantum chip center that could add more than 250 high-tech jobs in Jura.
Rhea-AI Summary
SEALSQ (LAES) plans a CHF 40–60 million post‑quantum semiconductor center in Jura, Switzerland under a new MoU.
The Memorandum of Understanding between SEALSQ, parent WISeKey and the Canton of Jura targets a six‑year public‑private initiative to establish Swiss capabilities in post‑quantum chip design, personalization, testing and secure provisioning, built around SEALSQ’s QS7001 Quantum Shield device. The Jura Center is planned to create about 40 direct jobs within two years, 150 by Year 5 and more than 250 by Year 8, with at least 60% of roles expected to go to Jura residents.
Financing is expected to come mainly from WISeKey, SEALSQ, private investors and industrial partners, with the canton acting as catalyst. The model builds on the EUR 40 million Quantix Edge Security center in Murcia, Spain, which generated initial revenue in Q2 2026. Next steps include forming a joint working group, defining a detailed business plan and moving from MoU to a binding implementation framework.
Positive
- CHF 40–60 million indicative investment over six years for the Jura Center
- Planned job creation of 40 roles in two years, 150 by Year 5, and 250+ by Year 8
- At least 60% of new positions expected to be filled by Jura residents
- Financing expected mainly from WISeKey, SEALSQ and private/industrial partners, limiting reliance on cantonal funds
- Project leverages experience from a EUR 40 million Murcia Quantix center with initial revenue in Q2 2026
Negative
- Project remains at MoU stage; detailed implementation, financing and site selection are still to be finalized
Key Figures
- Indicative investment
- CHF 40-60 million
- Proposed Jura Center investment over six years
- Direct jobs within two years
- Approximately 40
- Jura Center employment target
- Direct jobs by Year 5
- 150
- Jura Center employment target
- Direct jobs by Year 8
- More than 250
- Jura Center employment target
- Local resident positions
- At least 60%
- Expected share of positions filled by Canton of Jura residents
- Quantix center investment
- EUR 40 million
- Murcia semiconductor design and personalization center cited as a model
- Spanish government commitment
- EUR 19.6 million
- Committed to the Murcia public-private initiative in June 2025
Key Terms
post-quantum cryptography technical
asic technical
pki technical
root of trust technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
DELÉMONT, Switzerland, Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Proposed CHF 40-60 million public-private initiative aims to establish sovereign semiconductor personalization capabilities in Switzerland and create up to 250+ direct jobs in the Canton of Jura
SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES) ("SEALSQ" or "Company"), a company that focuses on developing and selling Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software products, its parent company, WISeKey International Holding Ltd (SIX: WIHN; NASDAQ: WKEY), (“WISeKey” or “the Company”) a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity and IoT, and The Republic and Canton of Jura, Switzerland, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) to collaborate on the establishment of a Post-Quantum Semiconductor and Cybersecurity Center (the “Jura Center”) in the Canton of Jura.
The proposed Jura Center represents an indicative investment of approximately CHF 40-60 million over a period of six years. The initiative is intended to establish a strategic Swiss capability for the design, personalization, testing and secure provisioning of next-generation post-quantum semiconductor technologies.
At the heart of the project will be SEALSQ's QS7001 Quantum Shield, a secure semiconductor designed to implement post-quantum cryptographic algorithms standardized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, including ML-KEM and ML-DSA.
The Jura Center is expected to establish capabilities for cryptographic root-of-trust injection, secure firmware personalization, testing and certification, complemented progressively by ASIC design capabilities.
Building a Swiss Sovereign Semiconductor Capability
The initiative is designed to combine SEALSQ and WISeKey's cybersecurity and semiconductor technologies with the Canton of Jura's longstanding expertise in precision manufacturing, microtechnology and high-quality industrial production.
The project seeks to transfer skills deeply rooted in Jura's watchmaking and microtechnology industries - including precision, quality control and traceability - into secure semiconductor personalization.
The project aims to establish approximately 40 direct jobs within two years, 150 by Year 5 and more than 250 by Year 8. At least
A Public-Private Partnership
The Jura Center is expected to be developed as a public-private partnership, with the majority of its financing coming from WISeKey, SEALSQ, private investors and industrial partners. The Canton of Jura would act as a strategic catalyst, facilitating the establishment of the project and evaluating potential support within the applicable cantonal and federal frameworks.
The parties will also explore cooperation with HE-Arc Ingénierie for training, recruitment and applied research and with relevant Swiss technology and industrial organizations.
Building on the Quantix Model
This initiative builds upon the experience of Quantix Edge Security, the EUR 40 million semiconductor design and personalization center being developed in Murcia, Spain, by WISeKey and SEALSQ with Spanish partners.
The Spanish Government, through the Sociedad Española de Transformación Tecnológica (SETT), committed EUR 19.6 million to that public-private initiative in June 2025. The Jura Center intends to adapt the experience and methodologies developed in Murcia to Switzerland's specific industrial and sovereignty requirements.
Strategic Opportunity for Switzerland
The Center will also evaluate opportunities associated with Swiss defense procurement and armasuisse industrial participation programs, where secure semiconductor and ASIC capabilities established on Swiss territory could potentially provide an attractive platform for industrial offset projects.
Secure semiconductors and ASICs are increasingly relevant to avionics, secure communications, sensors and other defense systems, creating an opportunity to strengthen Switzerland's domestic technological and industrial base.
Carlos Moreira, CEO of SEALSQ, said: "The quantum era is transforming cybersecurity into an issue of technological sovereignty. Switzerland must be able not only to design advanced security technologies, but also to personalize, provision and protect the cryptographic roots of trust inside semiconductors on Swiss soil. The Jura has an extraordinary industrial culture built around precision, reliability and microtechnology. Our ambition is to combine this industrial DNA with SEALSQ's post-quantum semiconductor technology and create a new strategic capability for Switzerland. We are already applying this model in Murcia, where the initiative generated initial revenue during the second quarter of 2026. Based on this early commercial progress, believe the Jura Center can become an important European center for post-quantum semiconductor security, creating highly qualified employment, strengthening the regional technology ecosystem while reinforcing Switzerland's technological sovereignty."
Stéphane Theurillat, Minister of Economy of the Canton of Jura added, “This partnership marks an important milestone for Jura and sends a strong signal about our ambition to attract and develop strategic investments. The project combines digital infrastructure with Jura’s strong industrial capabilities and will contribute to further diversifying our economy. It also represents a significant opportunity to strengthen digital sovereignty while creating value and new business opportunities within our regional ecosystem. The Government of the Republic and Canton of Jura strongly welcomes this announcement and is fully committed to supporting the project. Together with the relevant authorities and services, we will work closely with the company to facilitate a fast and successful establishment in Jura and create the conditions for its long-term development.”
Next Steps
Following the MoU, the parties intend to establish a joint working group to develop the detailed business plan, select the site, structure the public-private financing model, develop academic and industrial partnerships, evaluate Swiss federal and armasuisse opportunities, and establish the regulatory and certification roadmap.
The concept envisages the Center operating through a Swiss company incorporated in the Canton of Jura, supported by an appropriate public-private governance structure.
Upon completion of this preparatory work, the Parties intend to move from the MoU to a detailed implementation framework governing the establishment, financing and operation of the Jura Center..
About WISeKey
WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA, which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and houses the development of the SEALCOIN platform.
Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.
About SEALSQ:
SEALSQ is a leading innovator in Post-Quantum Technology hardware and software solutions. Our technology seamlessly integrates Semiconductors, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), and Provisioning Services, with a strategic emphasis on developing state-of-the-art Quantum Resistant Cryptography and Semiconductors designed to address the urgent security challenges posed by quantum computing. As quantum computers advance, traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) are increasingly vulnerable.
SEALSQ is pioneering the development of Post-Quantum Semiconductors that provide robust, future-proof protection for sensitive data across a wide range of applications, including Multi-Factor Authentication tokens, Smart Energy, Medical and Healthcare Systems, Defense, IT Network Infrastructure, Automotive, and Industrial Automation and Control Systems. By embedding Post-Quantum Cryptography into our semiconductor solutions, SEALSQ ensures that organizations stay protected against quantum threats. Our products are engineered to safeguard critical systems, enhancing resilience and security across diverse industries.
For more information on our Post-Quantum Semiconductors and security solutions, please visit www.sealsq.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning SEALSQ Corp and its businesses. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include SEALSQ's ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including a limited number of significant customers; market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; and the risks discussed in SEALSQ's filings with the SEC. Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by SEALSQ with the SEC.
SEALSQ Corp is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
| SEALSQ Corp. Carlos Moreira Chairman & CEO Tel: +41 22 594 3000 info@sealsq.com | SEALSQ Investor Relations (US) The Equity Group Inc. Lena Cati Tel: +1 212 836-9611 Lena.cati@theequitygroup.com |
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What exactly will the Jura Center do in terms of technology and services?
The Jura Center is expected to build capabilities for cryptographic root‑of‑trust injection, secure firmware personalization, testing and certification of post‑quantum semiconductors, and to progressively add ASIC design. It will focus on design, personalization, testing and secure provisioning of next‑generation post‑quantum semiconductor technologies based on SEALSQ’s QS7001 Quantum Shield.
How is the public‑private partnership for the Jura Center structured?
The Center is planned as a public‑private partnership in which most financing would come from WISeKey, SEALSQ, private investors and industrial partners. The Canton of Jura will act as a strategic catalyst, facilitating the project’s establishment and assessing potential support within cantonal and federal frameworks.
How does this Swiss project relate to the Quantix Edge Security center in Spain?
The initiative builds on the experience of Quantix Edge Security, a EUR 40 million semiconductor design and personalization center in Murcia, Spain, backed by a EUR 19.6 million commitment from Spain’s SETT. The Jura Center intends to adapt Quantix’s methodologies to Swiss industrial and sovereignty requirements, and the company notes the Murcia project generated initial revenue in Q2 2026.
What are the planned next steps after signing the MoU?
The parties plan to set up a joint working group to refine the business plan, choose a site, structure the financing model, develop academic and industrial partnerships, evaluate Swiss federal and armasuisse opportunities, and define the regulatory and certification roadmap. The concept foresees operating through a Swiss company incorporated in Jura, followed by a detailed implementation framework governing establishment, financing and operations.
What potential defense and industrial opportunities are being considered?
The Center will evaluate opportunities tied to Swiss defense procurement and armasuisse industrial participation programs. Secure semiconductors and ASICs developed on Swiss territory could serve as a platform for industrial offset projects in avionics, secure communications, sensors and other defense systems, potentially strengthening Switzerland’s domestic technological and industrial base.