Gold Award for Quantum-Safe ID Card Demonstrator

Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and Bundesdruckerei GmbH, together with Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and Infineon Technologies AG, have received the Juniper Research Identity & Security Award 2026 in the ‘Post Quantum Cryptography Excellence – Gold Winner’ category.

The award recognises the group’s quantum-safe identity card demonstrator, described as one of the world’s first functional national ID card implementations combining conventional and post-quantum cryptography. The feasibility study considers how to implement computationally demanding quantum-resistant algorithms on identity document chips with limited resources. Its hybrid approach combines established cryptographic methods with post-quantum protection in accordance with current recommendations. G+D implemented the algorithms, while Infineon provided chips featuring a design that facilitates fast operation and resistance to side-channel attacks.

IDN has previously reported on the partners’ work towards quantum-resistant identity documents, including an electronic passport demonstrator developed in 2022. The award-winning identity card project builds on that research, demonstrating how hybrid cryptography can be implemented within the technical constraints of document chips.