Sophia Antipolis, France, 22 June 2026
For this year’s edition, the 2026 ETSI/IQC Quantum Safe Cryptography Conference travelled to Ottawa, Canada, where it was hosted in the beautiful surroundings of Carleton University, along the Rideau river.
More than 250 participants from around the world gathered to discuss one of the most pressing challenges of our time: advancing the transition to quantum-safe security. Over three days, attendees enjoyed keynote sessions, panel discussions, and strategic and technical presentations.
Beyond the sessions, the conference provided an excellent opportunity for networking, with informal exchanges during breaks and around posters showcasing cutting-edge research projects. These interactions helped connect experts from industry, government and academia.
The opening keynotes emphasised the urgency of preparing for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and the need to start investing now, as migration takes time and the quantum transition is highly complex. Standards were highlighted as essential, given that interoperability is critical for all stakeholders and serve as the pathway to commercial readiness.
Yet, post-quantum cryptography alone is not sufficient. Long-term resilience will require a broader strategy incorporating cryptographic agility, trust diversity, defence-in-depth, and new approaches to trust establishment and key management.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly pervasive, speakers noted that most resources have been dedicated to that area, resulting in a lack of PQC readiness at all levels, including at the board level. There is also a shortage of experts and engineers specialised in post-quantum cryptography. Speakers repeated that the quantum threat is real and pointed out the importance of international collaboration is more important than ever, as “you never learn more than when you exchange with your peers”.
While the precise timeline for mature quantum technology remains uncertain, it is increasingly clear that that organisations must prepare for a future in which cryptographic assumptions can no longer be taken for granted. Cryptographic resilience is becoming a prerequisite for trustworthy AI-enabled societies.
As Dr Michele Mosca stated: “The goal is not to predict exactly when that future will arrive. The goal is to ensure that when it does, society is ready.”
Look at the conference presentations here:
https://www.etsi.org/events/2592-etsi-iqc-qsc-conference-2026/
