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Researchers from Fraunhofer FOKUS were honoured with the Best Paper Award at the 2nd International Conference on AI-Driven Cybersecurity Infrastructure (CYBER-AI 2026) at the end of September. The award was presented to Florin Popescu, Marius Corici, Hemant Zope, Michell Boerger, Philipp Lämmel, Nikolay Tcholtchev, Thomas Magedanz and Ilie Daniel Gheorghe Pop for their paper “Integrating Quantum Key Distribution for Secure Connectivity in 5G and 6G Core Networks”, which addresses the challenges of post-quantum security.

The global race for quantum computing has been underway for some time now and is all too often defined by the performance of new hardware. In the long term, however, success will be measured not only by who develops the most powerful quantum processors, but also by who creates the best tools for developers. In this interview, Manfred Hauswirth explains the role that software stacks, open source, and technological sovereignty play in this context, and how Fraunhofer FOKUS supports the development of European quantum ecosystems.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems FOKUS was honored with the 2026 Quantum Effects Award in the »Quantum Computing Software & Algorithms« category. The award recognized the open-source framework “Eclipse Qrisp,” initiated by Fraunhofer FOKUS, which facilitates the development and application of quantum algorithms.

Through this membership, Fraunhofer FOKUS strengthens collaboration with other Fraunhofer institutes and contributes its expertise to joint research projects for civil and public safety and security.

The “Q-VERSE” project aims to develop a European Quantum Software Stack comprising components and tools for scalable, technologically sovereign and reliable software solutions that harness the computing power of quantum computers. The foundation for this is “Eclipse Qrisp”, an open-source framework for quantum programming initiated by Fraunhofer FOKUS. Our vision – “a Linux for quantum computers”. The kick-off event took place on 14 and 15 September.

Cities and regions face the challenge of linking data from a wide variety of specialist systems, sensors and digital services. Whether it be mobility, energy, the environment, public administration or municipal infrastructure: only when data from all these areas is brought together in a secure, standardised and interoperable manner can genuine added value be created for public administration, the economy and citizens. The new DIN SPEC 91377 provides an important framework for this.

How can medical resources, treatment capacities and patient flows be coordinated across sectors in crisis and disaster situations? The new joint research project REAKT – a resilient real-time platform for the coordination of cross-sectoral capacities and communication in the event of trauma and crises – is dedicated to addressing this challenge.

The work of NFDI4DataScience (NFDI4DS) will continue: On July 10, 2026, the Joint Science Conference (GWK) decided to continue funding the NFDI consortia from the second funding round of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). At the same time, the federal and state governments secured long-term funding for the NFDI through 2038. Person with a tablet sitting in front of the Chancellery in Berlin

A drone-based 5G solution provides a broadband network that enables not only communication between emergency responders but also the transmission of real-time situation reports and the remote control of robots. To mark the conclusion of the AMADEUS project, Fraunhofer FOKUS and its partners demonstrated their results yesterday at Schönhagen Airfield in Brandenburg using a realistic scenario for disaster and crisis response operations.

On 23 and 24 June 2026, the kick-off meeting for the international research project “Excellent AI” took place at Fraunhofer FOKUS. The project partners have set themselves the goal of supporting companies in integrating AI into their business processes, thereby making them competitive on the global market.