At the ELISA Project Workshop held May 7-9, 2025, in Lund, Sweden, co-hosted with Volvo Cars, Arduino co-founder and Head of Research at Malmö University, David Cuartielles shared an insightful session on using the Portenta X8 as a reference hardware platform for building safe and secure embedded Linux systems.
In his presentation, David walked through Arduino’s journey into Linux-capable hardware, the motivations behind creating the Portenta X8, and how it came to be through European-funded research projects. With industrial-grade capabilities, real-time microcontroller support, and built-in fleet management, the Portenta X8 stands out as a robust platform for prototyping secure and sustainable embedded Linux systems.
David also shared his insights into sustainability challenges in hardware manufacturing, highlighting Arduino’s ongoing research into biocompatible PCBs using PLA-flax substrates. The talk offers insights into balancing innovation with ecological responsibility, and how that might impact Linux-compatible hardware in the future.
To learn more, watch the session here. Slides available here.