End-to-end security in the hyperconnected world

Quantum communication is one of the technologies of the future that is essential for Germany's technological sovereignty in IT security. Players in Germany must be put in a position to occupy the future market of quantum communication at an early stage and secure key market shares. Current research and development activities require increasing transfer from the laboratory to application. Therefore, the development and research of modularized and miniaturized components for quantum communication technologies should be advanced in this measure, which will enable a transfer of these into industrial applications and their large-scale use in the medium and long term.

The funding guideline is intended to intensify pre-competitive cooperation between companies and research institutions in the university and non-university sectors and to support the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in research projects. The funding measure is part of the research framework program "Digital. Secure. Souverän." research framework program of the German government on IT security and contributes to the implementation of the "Future Strategy for Research and Innovation."

The fundamental practicality of the researched technology should ideally be advanced within the project term. The alliances are to combine existing expertise in the field of quantum communication and IT security.

The grants are awarded by way of project funding as a non-repayable grant.

The BMBF has currently commissioned the following project management organization to handle the funding measure "End-to-end security in the hyperconnected world":

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, Projektträger Vernetzung und Sicherheit digitaler Systeme, Steinplatz 1, 10623 Berlin. Contact persons are Dr. Kristian Döbrich and Dr. Tobias Denzler .

The application procedure has two stages. In the first stage of the procedure, project outlines in written and/or electronic form (max. 15 DIN A4 pages including cover sheet and attachments) must first be submitted to the commissioned project management organization VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH by November 20, 2023 at the latest under the funding measure "End-to-end security in the hyperconnected world". The outline must include a technically assessable rough concept and a rough financial plan. In the second stage of the procedure, the authors of the positively evaluated project outlines are requested to submit a formal funding application. In each case, they will be notified of a deadline for submission of the complete applications.

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