The EU plans to make digital encryption completely quantum-safe by 2035 at the latest. As quantum computers grow more and more powerful, qbit by qbit, experts on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) have laid a basis for secure encryption in recent years with new algorithms. But if they are to win the race by 2035, they have their work cut out for them in terms of implementation in systems and communication protocols.

That is the takeaway from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC’s 2025 PQC Update, which saw the German-speaking PQC community from government agencies, companies, universities and other research institutions gather for the fourth time on May 12 and 13, 2025, to talk about the current state of advancement in post-quantum cryptography (PQC). 

As new advances in quantum hardware like IBM’s 2023 156-qbit model and plans for up to 2,000 logical qbits by 2033 emerge, there is also growing concern that cryptographic methods such as RSA and ECC could soon be cracked. It typically takes a minimum of ten years before new cryptography is introduced in application systems, which makes this high time for companies and institutions to get started with their PQC migration. The 4th PQC Update, held at Fraunhofer AISEC on May 12 and 13, 2025, was marked by cautious optimism because migration to new methods is now possible across many different areas. 

There have been seven key advances in PQC on the whole: 

1. EU timeline for PQC migration in the works 
2. Standardization and certification picking up steam 
3. Funding measures in Germany placed on a firmer footing 
4. PQC growing more relevant to internet communications 
5. Complexity of PQC migration is manageable 
6. PQC migration of hardware is possible 
7. Side-channel attacks recognized as risk factor 

More information and further details available at: https://www.aisec.fraunhofer.de/en/media/press-releases/2025/seven-key-steps-fForward-in-PQC.html.” 

Origin of text and picture: https://www.aisec.fraunhofer.de/en/media/press-releases/2025/seven-key-steps-fForward-in-PQC.html