Industries

Industries We Serve — from CAD to certification

A schematic becomes a board, and a board is inert until an operating system, a bootloader and a driver layer bring it to life. That gap is the same in an aircraft, an insulin pump and a substation relay — and it is the gap the Foundation exists to close, openly, for every sector below.

38 sectors · 36 with a reference design in a public repository today

From CAD to Certified Product

The same four steps, in every industry

The Foundation works across all four, which is why one organisation can serve sectors as different as avionics and agriculture: the hardware differs, the path does not.

  1. STEP 1

    Schematic & CAD

    The design starts as a schematic and PCB layout — KiCad sources, a bill of materials, and the mechanical model, published openly rather than held as a trade secret.

  2. STEP 2

    Board & bring-up

    Fabrication and assembly produce real hardware, which then has to be brought up: power sequencing, clocks, memory, and every peripheral proven one at a time.

  3. STEP 3

    Operating system & drivers

    This is the gap the Foundation exists to close. A board with no scheduler, no driver model and no bootloader does nothing. EoS, eBoot and the driver layer make it a computer.

  4. STEP 4

    Application & certification

    Above the OS sits the domain logic — flight control, patient monitoring, grid protection — and the evidence trail a certification authority will ask for.

How to read these cards

Target standards are targets, not certifications held.
The Foundation holds no certification from any authority. Each design is engineered toward the standard named on its card, and the standards tables in the design repositories are titled "Compliance Targets" for the same reason. Certification is the responsibility of whoever brings a device to market.
TRL is self-assessed and has not been independently audited.
The bands are derived from each design's own recorded status: a concept maps to TRL 1–2, a research-phase design to TRL 2–3, and a design-phase design to TRL 3–4. No physical qualification campaign has been run, so nothing here claims TRL 5 or above.
A reference design means a design that exists.
Each card names a real design and the repository path holding it. Where the Foundation has no design for a sector yet, the card says so and points at the roadmap rather than borrowing an unrelated board.
Funding themesSovereigntySafety certificationDecarbonisationHealth accessResilience
Core Industries

34 sectors the platform already targets

Each card carries the standard the design is built toward, its self-assessed maturity, a reference design that exists in a public repository, and the public-funding theme the work maps to.

Aerospace

TRL 3-4

Avionics, flight control, and airborne systems electronics.

Target standards
DO-178CDO-254MIL-STD-1553BMIL-STD-704F
Reference design
eFC-1000 Primary Flight Computer3U VPX flight computer, part of a six-unit avionics suiteeCAD-Hardware-Products/eAerospace_CAD_Design/avionics
Maturity
Design Phase
Safety certification

Space & Satellite

TRL 3-4

Onboard computers, CubeSat payloads, and ground-segment hardware.

Target standards
ECSS-E-ST-10ECSS-E-ST-50MIL-STD-883
Reference design
eCUBE-3U-OBC3U CubeSat onboard computer, with EPS and ADCS boards alongsideeCAD-Hardware-Products/eAerospace_CAD_Design/cubesat_systems
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Defence

TRL 3-4

Land, air, and C4ISR platform electronics built to military standards.

Target standards
MIL-STD-6016MIL-STD-810HFIPS 140-3 Level 3
Reference design
eC4I-7000Tactical C4ISR compute node on Zynq UltraScale+ with AI fusioneCAD-Hardware-Products/eDefense_CAD_Design/c4isr
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Naval & Maritime

TRL 3-4

Shipboard control, subsea, and unmanned marine systems.

Target standards
IEC 61174IEC 60945MIL-STD-1399
Reference design
eNav-ECDISElectronic chart display and information system, with AIS and autopilot unitseCAD-Hardware-Products/eTransport_CAD_Design/maritime_systems
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Radar & Sensing

TRL 3-4

Radar, sonar, and RF front-end board design.

Target standards
IEC 60565MIL-STD-461GIEC 61000-4-2
Reference design
eRadar360 hardwareRadar front-end and processing boards in a dedicated design repositoryeCAD-Hardware-Products/eRadar360_CAD_Design/hardware
Maturity
Design Phase
Resilience

Automotive

TRL 3-4

ECUs, ADAS sensor nodes, and in-vehicle networks.

Target standards
ISO 26262AEC-Q100CISPR 25
Reference design
eVCU-ProVehicle control unit, alongside an L2 ADAS node and driver-monitoring boardeCAD-Hardware-Products/eTransport_CAD_Design/automotive_electronics
Maturity
Design Phase
Safety certification

Electric Vehicles & Charging

TRL 3-4

Battery management, powertrain control, and charging infrastructure.

Target standards
IEC 62619UL 1973IEC 62477-1
Reference design
eBMS-100A100 A battery management system, with a 10 kWh pack and 22 kW motor driveeCAD-Hardware-Products/eEnergy_CAD_Design/battery_products
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Rail & Transit

TRL 3-4

Signalling, trackside monitoring, and rolling-stock electronics.

Target standards
EN 50128 SIL 4EN 50129 SIL 4EN 50155EN 50121-4
Reference design
eTCU-ProTrain control unit targeting SIL 4, with an automatic train protection boardeCAD-Hardware-Products/eTransport_CAD_Design/rail_systems
Maturity
Design Phase
Safety certification

Transport & Logistics

TRL 3-4

Fleet telematics, asset tracking, and port automation.

Target standards
ISO 3691-4IEC 62061 SIL 2
Reference design
eWarehouse-1TOne-tonne autonomous mobile robot, with a delivery robot and 4G telematics uniteCAD-Hardware-Products/eRobotics_CAD_Design/autonomous_systems
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Medical Devices

TRL 3-4

Patient monitoring, diagnostics, and therapy device controllers.

Target standards
IEC 60601-1IEC 62304ISO 13485ISO 80601-2-12
Reference design
eVent-ProICU ventilator controller, alongside infusion, oxygen and 12-lead ECG designseCAD-Hardware-Products/eMedical_CAD_Design/patient_care
Maturity
Design Phase
Health access

Digital Health

TRL 4

Wearables, remote monitoring, and connected-care hardware.

Target standards
IEC 60601-1ISO 13485FDA 510(k) pathway
Reference design
HEALTH-KEY ULTRAOpen hardware under CERN OHL with KiCad sources; regulatory documentation complete, physical testing pendingeos-health/devices/health-key-ultra
Maturity
Firmware, open hardware and algorithms complete; reliability testing and FDA 510(k) submission pending
Health access

Energy & Power

TRL 3-4

Generation, inverters, and power electronics design.

Target standards
IEC 62477-1IEC 61800-5-1IEC 62040-1
Reference design
eDCDC-5kW5 kW DC-DC converter, with a 10 kVA UPS and smart breaker designseCAD-Hardware-Products/eEnergy_CAD_Design/power_electronics
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Smart Grid & Utilities

TRL 3-4

Substation automation, protection relays, and smart metering.

Target standards
IEC 62056IEC 62052-11IEEE 1547
Reference design
eSM-3PThree-phase smart meter, with gas and water meters in the same familyeCAD-Hardware-Products/eSmartCity_CAD_Design/utilities
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Renewables & Storage

TRL 3-4

Solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery storage controllers.

Target standards
IEC 61727IEEE 1547IEC 61400-1IEEE 2030.7
Reference design
eSolarInv-10kW10 kW string solar inverter, with a 50 kW wind controller and 100 kW microgrid controllereCAD-Hardware-Products/eEnergy_CAD_Design/renewable_energy
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Oil, Gas & Pipelines

TRL 3-4

Ruggedized monitoring and process control electronics.

Target standards
IEC 60079ATEXIECEx
Reference design
eEnv-ATEXATEX-zone environmental monitor, with a four-gas detector in the same familyeCAD-Hardware-Products/eMining_CAD_Design/industrial_safety
Maturity
Design Phase
Resilience

Mining & Heavy Industry

TRL 3-4

Underground sensing, autonomous haulage, and plant control.

Target standards
ISO 17757ISO 15998IECExIEC 62061 SIL 3
Reference design
eHaul-AutoAutonomous haulage controller, with underground inspection UAV and worker-proximity safety unitseCAD-Hardware-Products/eMining_CAD_Design/mining_equipment
Maturity
Design Phase
Resilience

Industrial Automation

TRL 3-4

PLC, SCADA, motor drives, and process control hardware.

Target standards
IEC 61131-3IEC 61508 SIL 2IEC 62443IEC 61010-1
Reference design
ePLC-1000Programmable logic controller, with an IIoT gateway, HMI and 32-channel DAQeCAD-Hardware-Products/eIndustrial_CAD_Design/industrial_electronics
Maturity
Design Phase
Safety certification

Robotics

TRL 3-4

Motion control, sensor fusion, and autonomous platform electronics.

Target standards
ISO 10218-1IEC 62061 SIL 2
Reference design
eArm-7Seven-axis industrial arm controller, with a collaborative robot and delta pickereCAD-Hardware-Products/eRobotics_CAD_Design/industrial_robots
Maturity
Design Phase
Safety certification

Manufacturing & Industry 4.0

TRL 3-4

IIoT gateways, predictive maintenance, and digital twins.

Target standards
IEC 62443IEC 61131-3
Reference design
eGW-500Industrial IoT gateway bridging fieldbus to OT-secured networkseCAD-Hardware-Products/eIndustrial_CAD_Design/industrial_electronics
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Semiconductors & Electronics

TRL 3-4

Board-level design, test, and bring-up infrastructure.

Target standards
IEC 62368-1EN 55032
Reference design
eMCU-UltraMCU platform board, with an FPGA board and PCB prototyping designseCAD-Hardware-Products/eElectronics_CAD_Design/semiconductor_products
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Cybersecurity

TRL 3-4

Secure boot, hardware root of trust, and OT security.

Target standards
FIPS 140-3IEC 62443-4-2ETSI EN 303 645
Reference design
eHSM-ProHardware security module, with secure-boot and root-of-trust subsystem designseCAD-Hardware-Products/eCybersecurity_CAD_Design/security_appliances
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Telecommunications

TRL 3-4

Open RAN, private 5G, IoT gateways, and timing distribution.

Target standards
ETSI EN 303 645IEC 62443-4-2IEEE 1588
Reference design
e5G-Small5G small cell, with a private-network controller and IoT gatewayeCAD-Hardware-Products/eSmartCity_CAD_Design/telecom
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Agriculture & AgriTech

TRL 1-2

Precision agriculture, irrigation, and crop and livestock sensing.

Target standards
ISO 3691-4ETSI EN 303 645
Reference design
eFarmSolar LoRaWAN soil and crop sensor mesh; an eAgri-Tractor controller exists in the robotics designseCAD-Hardware-Products/future_designs/eFarm
Maturity
Concept — sensor stack and LoRa mesh topology TBD
Resilience

Food & Cold Chain

Not yet assessed

Traceability, storage monitoring, and food-safety instrumentation.

Target standards
IEC 61010-1EN 12830
Reference design
None yet. Listed here because the Foundation intends to serve this sector — the work is on the roadmap, not in a repository.
Maturity
No reference design yet — on the roadmap
Resilience

Water & Wastewater

TRL 3-4

Quality monitoring, leak detection, and treatment control.

Target standards
ISO 4064IEC 62056
Reference design
eWM-DN50 and eLeakDetectDN50 water meter and leak-detection unit; an eHydro water-quality concept is in future designseCAD-Hardware-Products/eSmartCity_CAD_Design/utilities
Maturity
Design Phase
Resilience

Environment & Climate

TRL 3-4

Air quality, emissions, weather, and ecological sensor networks.

Target standards
EN 15267IEC 61010-1
Reference design
eEnvStationEnvironmental monitoring station targeting EN 15267, with an eAQ-Pro air-quality uniteCAD-Hardware-Products/eSmartCity_CAD_Design/urban_infrastructure
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Disaster Resilience & Public Safety

TRL 1-2

Flood, seismic, wildfire, and emergency-response systems.

Target standards
IEC 62676EN 50131-1
Reference design
eHydroRiver-level and water-quality monitoring concept; emergency communications hardware exists in the industrial-safety designseCAD-Hardware-Products/future_designs/eHydro
Maturity
Concept — sensor calibration and public dashboard TBD
Resilience

Smart Cities

TRL 3-4

Street lighting, traffic, waste management, and civic sensing.

Target standards
NTCIP 1202IEC 62264ISO 14906
Reference design
eTrafficCtrlTraffic signal controller to NTCIP 1202, with smart parking, lighting and civic sensing unitseCAD-Hardware-Products/eSmartCity_CAD_Design/urban_infrastructure
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Construction & Infrastructure

TRL 3-4

Structural health monitoring for bridges, tunnels, and dams.

Target standards
ISO 17757IEC 61010-1
Reference design
eInspect-SiteSite inspection and survey platform, with structural robots in the same familyeCAD-Hardware-Products/eMining_CAD_Design/construction_robots
Maturity
Design Phase
Resilience

Building Automation

TRL 3-4

HVAC, lighting, fire safety, and access control.

Target standards
IEC 62676-1EN 50131-1IEC 60598-2-3
Reference design
eAccess-ProAccess control and biometric lock designs, with a smart streetlight controller for lightingeCAD-Hardware-Products/eCybersecurity_CAD_Design/physical_security
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Consumer Electronics

TRL 3-4

Audio, display, camera, and connected-device hardware.

Target standards
IEC 62368-1EN 55032
Reference design
eWatch-ProWearable platform, with AR glasses and portable sensor designs alongsideeCAD-Hardware-Products/eConsumer_CAD_Design/personal_devices
Maturity
Design Phase
Health access

Smart Home & IoT

TRL 3-4

Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and BLE device platforms.

Target standards
ETSI EN 303 645IEC 62368-1
Reference design
eHub-ProMulti-protocol home hub, with thermostat, doorbell and camera designseCAD-Hardware-Products/eConsumer_CAD_Design/smart_home
Maturity
Design Phase
Decarbonisation

Edge AI & Embedded Intelligence

TRL 3-4

TinyML, machine vision, and on-device inference.

Target standards
IEC 62368-1IEC 62471ISO 26262
Reference design
TinyML platform boardsTinyML, NPU subsystem, vision and sensor-fusion board designs, running eAIeCAD-Hardware-Products/eEdgeAI_CAD_Design/tinyml_platforms
Maturity
Design Phase
Sovereignty

Research & Education

TRL 1-2

Teaching platforms, lab instrumentation, and open hardware.

Target standards
IEC 61010-1CERN OHL
Reference design
eEdu-KitTeaching kit paired with the Foundation's free books and Kids Edition curriculumeCAD-Hardware-Products/future_designs/eEdu-Kit
Maturity
Concept — curriculum draft and enclosure design TBD
Health access
Emerging & Frontier

Where the research is earlier

These are earlier than the core sectors and are labelled that way deliberately. They are the innovation-track work: promising, funded by research grants rather than product revenue, and honest about how far along they are.

Quantum & Photonics Instrumentation

TRL 2-3

Cryogenic control, precision timing, and quantum sensing electronics.

Target standards
IEC 61010-1IEC 62368-1
Reference design
eQuantum-Sense and eCryo-CtrlQuantum sensing front-end and cryogenic controller, with a precision clock boardeCAD-Hardware-Products/eElectronics_CAD_Design/emerging_tech
Maturity
Research Phase
Sovereignty

Bioelectronics & Lab-on-Chip

TRL 1-2

Neural interfaces, sequencing, and miniaturised laboratory instrumentation.

Target standards
IEC 60601-1ISO 15189IEC 61010-2-020
Reference design
eBCI-LiteLow-channel brain-computer interface concept; eSeq-Nano and ePCR-96 lab designs exist todayeCAD-Hardware-Products/future_designs/eBCI-Lite
Maturity
Concept — electrode placement and intent decoder TBD
Health access

Autonomous Systems & Drones

TRL 3-4

Fixed-wing, multirotor, VTOL, and ground autonomy platforms.

Target standards
DO-178CISO 3691-4IEC 62061 SIL 2
Reference design
eVT-5000 and eSwarm-10VTOL platform and swarm controller, with a ground control station designeCAD-Hardware-Products/eAerospace_CAD_Design/uav_drone_systems
Maturity
Design Phase
Resilience

Sustainable & Circular Electronics

Not yet assessed

Repairability, long-life firmware support, and design for disassembly.

Target standards
IEC 62368-1EU Ecodesign (ErP)
Reference design
None yet. Listed here because the Foundation intends to serve this sector — the work is on the roadmap, not in a repository.
Maturity
No reference design yet — on the roadmap
Decarbonisation

Where this is going next

The roadmap says which of these sectors gets attention next, and what has to be true before a design can move past TRL 4 — physical qualification, then certification evidence. The programmes behind the work, and what the Foundation deliberately does not do, are on the Mission & Scope page.

See the roadmapMission & ScopeHardware design catalogue