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Post-Quantum Networks for Energy-eXfficient Transitionscore

PQ-NEXT · Horizon Europe grant · 2025-11-01–2028-10-31

EC contribution

€5,998,950

Total cost

€5,998,950

Beneficiaries

19
About the data

Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-CL3-2024-CS-01 · scheme HORIZON-RIA · topic HORIZON-CL3-2024-CS-01-02. CORDIS record →

Objective

Cryptographic technologies and encrypted channel communications have become a standard security pre-requisite among government and industry protocols, schemes and infrastructure. Practical quantum computing, when available to cyber adversaries, will break the security of nearly all modern public-key cryptographic systems.Practical quantum computing, when available to cyber adversaries, will break the security of nearly all modern public-key cryptographic systems. Consequently, all secret symmetric keys and private asymmetric keys that are now protected using current public-key algorithms, as well as the information protected under those keys, will be subject to exposure. This includes all recorded communications and other stored information protected by those public-key algorithms, the so-called Harvest Now Decrypt Later (HNDL) paradigm. Any information still considered to be private or otherwise sensitive will be vulnerable to exposure and undetected modification. Once exploitation of Shor’s algorithm becomes practical, protecting stored keys and data will require re-encrypting them with a quantum-resistant algorithm and deleting or physically securing “old” copies (e.g., backups). Integrity and sources of information will become unreliable unless they are processed or encapsulated (e.g., re-signed or timestamped) using a mechanism that is not vulnerable to quantum computing-based attacks.PQ-NEXT will focus on developing a comprehensive framework to facilitate the seamless transition to post-quantum cryptographic standards. This includes creating a catalog of PQC algorithms, maintenance tools, and a quantum programming language with advanced features like high-performance simulation and hybrid quantum-classical optimization, ensuring crypto-agility and security against quantum threats for large-scale pilots, targeting the financial, critical infrastructure, digital identities and telco industries.

Beneficiaries (19)

OrganisationCountryRoleEC contributionSME
NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ""DEMOKRITOS"""" EL coordinator €680,000
INDRA SISTEMAS SA ES participant €625,000
TELEFONICA INNOVACION DIGITAL SL ES participant €622,750
AUSTRALO INTERINNOV MARKETING LAB SL ES participant €392,500 Yes
SMARTLEX SRL SOCIETA DI PRODOTTI E SERVIZI GIURIDICI INTERDISCIPLINARI IT participant €378,625 Yes
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID ES participant €355,000
MOTOR OIL (HELLAS) DIILISTIRIA KORINTHOU A.E. EL participant €348,125
INFILI TECHNOLOGIES SOCIETE ANONYME EL participant €325,000 Yes
ATHINA-EREVNITIKO KENTRO KAINOTOMIAS STIS TECHNOLOGIES TIS PLIROFORIAS, TON EPIKOINONION KAI TIS GNOSIS EL participant €312,875
FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV DE participant €302,812
CAIXABANK SA ES participant €287,125
Hochschule RheinMain DE participant €263,138
AKADEMIA GORNICZO-HUTNICZA IM. STANISLAWA STASZICA W KRAKOWIE PL participant €252,500
SPLOROTECH SL ES participant €242,375 Yes
SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNA IT participant €242,375
AFSEA SEKTSIA SOFIA BG participant €200,000 Yes
DIMOS EGALEO EL participant €168,750
INDRA SISTEMAS DE COMUNICACIONES SEGURAS S.L.U ES thirdParty €0
CAIXABANK TECH SL ES thirdParty €0

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