PQ-REACT 7th General Assembly Meeting in Sofia!
The PQ-REACT consortium partners travelled this time to Sofia, Bulgaria, for the project’s 7th General Assembly, marking an important milestone as the project enters its final year.
Over two days, and with the excellent hospitality of BDI partners, we shared the latest results, discussed the suggestions from the first periodic review and set the direction for the months ahead. From project management and pilots to open calls, standardisation efforts, technical aspects, legal issues and communication, everything was set on the table to be thoroughly analysed.
A teaser from the discussions:
The feedback from the first periodic review, as well as the first results alongside the challenges, risks, and next steps, were presented. This provided the consortium with a clear picture of the progress and the current status, highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts as deadlines draw nearer.
Much attention was given to the international standardisation process for Post- Quantum Cryptography, particularly the work of NIST, which is now approaching a decisive stage. Recent publications, suitability analyses, and performance metrics were discussed, while also reflecting on the pending work related to the use cases, took place. These discussions emphasised both the project’s contribution to the global state of the art and the importance of timely delivery on upcoming milestones.
Moving on to the project’s pilots, with a demonstration of their core components and the first tangible results, drew discussions on refining solution designs, enhancing user experience, and incorporating feedback from the Open Call projects. This ensured that the pilots would not only validate technical solutions but also demonstrate real-world applicability.
Open Calls were another highlight of the meeting. The second Open Call received strong participation, with 57 applications submitted from 128 entities. The successful applicants, representing countries including Spain, Malta, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, and Estonia, will now continue their work within the PQ-REACT, further enriching the project’s innovation landscape. There was also strong participation on the evaluators’ side, with an equal balance between male and female representation.
The legal dimensions of Post-Quantum Cryptography were also discussed, with the first results of the analysis presented. The health sector is one of the chosen ones and the discussion was also shaped around this.
The consortium also reviewed its efforts in communication, dissemination, and exploitation. With most KPIs already achieved and both Open Calls proving highly successful, the focus now shifts to maximising impact in the final project year. Strategies for exploitation were discussed in detail, with particular emphasis on ensuring that results can be sustained and adopted beyond the project’s lifetime. Progress on standardisation was also highlighted, with the first standards already identified as outcomes of the collective work.
The 7th General Assembly confirmed not only the successful progress of the PQ-REACT project but also the shared commitment of all partners to deliver meaningful, lasting impact, securing the transition to the post-quantum era. As the project moves into its final phase, exciting outcomes will be revealed.
Stay tuned with the PQ-REACT project and follow our journey!
