Giesecke+Devrient Joins European uPQComing Consortium to Develop Quantum-Safe eID Operating Systems

Giesecke+Devrient Joins European uPQComing Consortium to Develop Quantum-Safe eID Operating Systems Munich-based security technology group Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) has joined uPQComing (Enhancing Cyber-Resilience for the Upcoming Post-Quantum Era), a European research consortium co-funded by the European Union’s Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU). The project focuses on migrating critical public digital infrastructure and resource-constrained embedded secure elements—specifically smart card integrated circuits and electronic identity (eID) operating systems—to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). [ uPQComing Research Scope & G+D Technical Focus ]Funding & Governance FrameworkHardware & OS Target EnvironmentCryptographic Architecture• EU Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) Co-Funded• Java Card Chip Operating System (OS)• Hybrid Classical/PQC Authentication Protocols• Pan-European Industry & University Consortium• Embedded Secure Elements (eID Smart Cards)• Dynamic Crypto-Agile System Architectures• Focus: Critical Public Digital Infrastructure• Resource-Constrained Memory & Compute Optimization• Terminal-to-Card Secure Communication Channels Embedded PQC Optimization for Java Card Secure Elements Integrating lattice-based post-quantum algorithms into smart card microcontrollers introduces severe performance bottlenecks due to larger key sizes, increased memory consumption, and higher computational overhead compared to classical RSA and ECC. Within uPQComing, G+D is engineering specialized implementation pathways for resource-constrained silicon: Java Card OS Prototyping: Integrating PQC primitives into a native Java Card chip operating system, optimizing instruction execution, RAM usage, and non-volatile memory footprints to maintain rapid authentication times at verification terminals. Crypto-Agile Architecture: Designing flexible firmware layers that allow secure elements to update, swap, or patch cryptographic primitives over time as algorithmic standards and side-channel vulnerability profiles evolve.

Hybrid Key Exchange and Authentication: Implementing dual-mode cryptographic schemes that combine classical public-key algorithms with PQC mechanisms to ensure backward compatibility and continuous compliance during the multi-year migration phase. Strategic Alignment with German and European eID Roadmaps The uPQComing participation expands upon G+D’s feasibility study and proof-of-concept conducted with Germany’s Bundesdruckerei, which validated the practical execution of PQC on the German national ID card. By scaling these prototypes across the uPQComing consortium, G+D aims to establish standardized, quantum-resistant digital identity architectures across European Union member states. Review the official release via Giesecke+Devrient here. September 3, 2026 Mohamed Abdel-Kareem2026-09-03T09:14:44-07:00 Leave A Comment Cancel replyComment Type in the text displayed above Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.