Collaboration To Foster European Involvement in Future Quantum Standards

PISA – Italy, July 1st, 2026 – StandICT.eu & PQ-NEXT announce their collaboration with the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Quantum technologies are moving towards technological maturity and wider adoption. From a market perspective, one measure to accelerate development and uptake is the promotion of coordinated, dedicated standardisation and certification efforts. Currently, the industry is relatively fragmented, with few to no standards in place. And yet, standardisation is a crucial foundation for the field to mature and harmonise the European quantum supply chains through interoperability across systems, technologies, ecosystems, and companies.

Standardisation facilitates the development of new technologies and the creation of efficient, effective supply chains. With this in mind, two European research and innovation initiatives have joined forces to foster the European contribution to developing these required new quantum standards.

On one side, StandICT.eu, a EU-funded initiative that has been running since 2018 with the central objective of fostering the participation of European experts in international ICT standardisation.

To reach this goal, it has four main axes:

It runs a Fellowship programme funding 300+ European standardisation experts through 6 Open Calls, providing over €4 million in direct funding.
It manages the European Observatory for ICT Standardisation (EUOS), an interactive online ecosystem that includes an up-to-date standards repository and working groups sharing insights on ongoing standardisation efforts across different initiatives.
Through its Academy, it trains future experts in ICT standardisation.
It proposes a mentoring programme that connects ICT standardisation professionals to exchange knowledge and best practices, thereby improving engagement in global digital standardisation.

StandICT.eu focuses on horizontal and vertical ICT fields as defined in the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation; one of the focuses is quantum computing and technologies. Through its fellowship programme, it has supported several European experts financially in developing standards and chairing working groups across different Standards Development Organisations (SDOs), namely CEN/CENELEC, ETSI, ISO, and ISO/IEC. This topic remains a priority within the Fellowship Programme and its future open calls.

On the other side, PQ-NEXT, a European research and innovation project co-funded by the European Union, aims to develop a migration framework to analyse and model scenarios for a smooth transition to post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) standards, with tailored migration plans. PQ-NEXT focuses especially on Quantum cryptography-related standards with the aim of engaging the project’s results in the development of new standards in this field.

This announced collaboration can further consolidate these commitments of both projects.

“Europe’s position in quantum technologies will depend on its capacity to turn research excellence into a consistent and coordinated influence in global standardisation. The collaboration with PQ-NEXT is a great opportunity to strengthen that pathway, helping experts engage where future requirements for trust, interoperability and competitiveness are being defined.”

Maria Giuffrida, StandICT.eu Coordinator (from Trust-IT)

“Post-quantum cryptography is not a future concern, it is an immediate priority. The work we are doing within PQ-NEXT to develop migration frameworks and engage with standardisation bodies will be more effective when undertaken in joint action with initiatives like StandICT.eu. Together, we can ensure that Europe shapes the global standards that will underpin the security of our digital infrastructure for decades to come.”

Akis Kourtis, PQ-NEXT Project Coordinator (from Demokritos)

PQ-NEXT General Assembly Meeting in Berlin, Germany

The third PQ-NEXT General Assembly Meeting was held in Berlin, Germany, on 19th and 20th May 2026. Hosted by Fraunhofer at their premises in the vibrant centre of Berlin, all the PQ-NEXT partners from across Europe gathered to present their progress, coordinate future work, and strengthen the collaboration that enables the smooth transition to the post-quantum era.

The first day started with Project Management activities, covering timelines, deliverables, and the coordination tools used to keep the consortium aligned. The day continued with the remaining technical work packages and discussions on Migration Modelling Tools, Post Quantum Transition Enablers, and Large Scale Pilot Demonstrators. It ended with a lengthy discussion on synergies and exploitation, followed by a social dinner to conclude the first day.

Wednesday focused on the project’s legal aspects, impact, and outreach activities. The Legally Compliant Migrations work package addressed the regulatory and compliance landscape that any real-world transition must navigate. The day concluded with the Dissemination, Communication, and Exploitation work package, which covered how the project will share its findings with the research community, policymakers, organisations, and all interested stakeholders, as well as how to increase the project’s impact.

Two days, six work packages, and a room full of people working intensively to smooth and secure the post-quantum transition.

Stay tuned with the PQ-NEXT project and follow its social media channels!

by matteo@australo.org

PQ-NEXT 1st GA Meeting Reflections

PQ-NEXT 1st General Assembly Meeting

The PQ-NEXT quantum adventure started in early November with an online Kick-off Meeting, marking the start of an ambitious journey towards a secure and smooth transition to post-quantum cryptography.

Just two months later, the project partners met in person for the first General Assembly Meeting, held in Madrid from the 19th to the 20th of January 2026. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity for consortium members to connect, strengthen collaboration, and align on the project’s vision.

During the meeting, all work packages were presented, and key technical and strategic topics were discussed in depth. These included PQ-NEXT Migration Modelling Tools, Post-Quantum Transition Enablers, Large-Scale Pilot Demonstrators, and the challenges of Framing and Implementing Legally Compliant Migrations. In addition, dedicated sessions on Dissemination, Communication, and Exploitation ensured that project results would reach the right stakeholders and have a lasting impact.

Each of these topics sparked active discussions among partners, bringing together unique perspectives and expertise. Building on these exchanges, the consortium partners identified priorities and agreed on next steps for each work area, setting a clear path for the coming months.

The PQ-NEXT 1st General Assembly marked the consortium’s first in-person meeting and aligned all partners for the coming months, creating strong momentum for collaboration.

Explore the PQ-NEXT Team