Introduction
QSD is developing a consortium-oriented project concept around the adoption of post-quantum cryptography in European critical infrastructure. The initiative is intended to connect cryptographic discovery, sector threat modelling, migration architecture, test environments and governance into reusable approaches that can be validated across multiple critical sectors.
2026 Strategic Relevance
The project concept is closely aligned with the direction set by the EU’s coordinated PQC roadmap: transition activity should begin by the end of 2026, with critical infrastructure moving as soon as possible and no later than the end of 2030. That policy signal creates a strong research need for sector-specific discovery methods, interoperability evidence, hybrid architectures and migration playbooks that can be reused across Member States. The proposed project is therefore positioned around implementation evidence rather than algorithm research alone—bridging standards, critical-infrastructure constraints and repeatable transition governance.
Project Objective
- Create repeatable cryptographic discovery and risk-prioritisation methods for critical infrastructure.
- Design hybrid and post-quantum transition architectures that respect availability and legacy constraints.
- Validate migration patterns through sector pilots, simulations and interoperability testing.
- Translate technical results into governance, evidence and reusable Q-TR playbooks.
Proposed Workstreams
- Use-case and sector requirements
- Cryptographic asset and dependency discovery
- PQC / hybrid reference architectures
- Pilot, simulation and validation
- Governance, regulatory alignment and dissemination
QSD Contribution
QSD’s proposed role is to connect cryptographic exposure discovery with sector-specific risk and migration architecture. In a consortium setting, QSD would be positioned to lead or co-lead work on dependency modelling, crypto-agility patterns, pilot transition methodology and the conversion of technical results into reusable governance and Q-TR playbooks. Final leadership roles remain subject to consortium agreement and call requirements.