
UBITECH and its subsidiary QUBITECH announce their participation in the PIQASO Digital Europe Action, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at implementing a robust framework for “Post-Quantum Cryptography As-a-Service for Common Transmission Systems (CTS) and Infrastructures.” The project officially launched on January 1, 2025, with a kick-off meeting held on January 22-23, 2025, in Athens, Greece. PIQASO is funded by the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 101190366) and will run from January 2025 to December 2027. The PIQASO project seeks to provide a comprehensive suite of quantum-safe cryptographic services that will enable secure and future-proof communication in the face of quantum computing threats. It will offer a fully optimized and operational “as-a-service” solution for a range of cryptographic algorithms and protocols, including key encapsulation, digital signatures, key exchange, authentication, and more. This service aims to safeguard infrastructures by ensuring that legacy systems can be easily integrated with quantum-safe encryption without requiring additional specialist hardware.
The PIQASO initiative focuses on the development of programmable optimizations and accelerators that enhance the execution of quantum-safe cryptographic algorithms in a cost-effective manner. It also promotes crypto agility—the ability to reconfigure systems and applications with different quantum-resistant algorithms based on specific needs and resource availability. This ensures seamless transitions to the next generation of security, all while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.
UBITECH plays a central role in the PIQASO project, leading multiple work packages focused on both administrative and technical aspects. The company is responsible for overall project management, consortium coordination, and scientific and technical leadership. Moreover, UBITECH is spearheading the definition of the overall PIQASO architecture, establishing the necessary security functionalities for the safety-critical services within the project’s use cases. The goal is to develop a layered architecture that supports the transition from legacy systems to next-generation security powered by Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Furthermore, UBITECH leads the investigation into the necessary optimizations and acceleration for PQC algorithms, focusing on minimizing encryption and signature sizes while ensuring resilience against quantum computing threats. Special attention will be given to leveraging hardware acceleration (where available) to improve performance and maximize throughput. Last but not least, UBITECH drives the development of the PIQASO PQC Ensemble, with a particular emphasis on software and hardware co-design for optimized cryptographic systems. This includes the creation of a cryptographic SDK that can be integrated into any commodity system, forming the foundation of the CTS crypto agility layer.
As part of its strategic involvement in PIQASO, QUBITECH is focused on implementing the PQC “As-A-Service” modality, which will serve as a key component in the transition to quantum-safe systems. In particular, QUBITECH leads the implementation of the PQC service based on a newly developed Key Management System. This system will facilitate the generation of Kyber-based key pairs for secure data encryption and re-encryption at rest. It will ensure that entities involved in secure data exchange can authenticate each other using both classical and quantum-safe signatures, providing flexibility for different certificate chains and authentication methods. The PQaaS implementation will also include a cryptographic SDK that allows seamless interaction with the PiQASO PQC Ensemble and Key Provider, ensuring secure data exchange for users across industries.
PIQASO’s ambitious demonstration plan includes involvement from 14 end-users across diverse sectors, such as automotive, finance, healthcare, aerospace, and more. These users will showcase the practical integration and application of PIQASO’s quantum-safe encryption services, validating the system’s real-world effectiveness and scalability.