NATO recognises ID Quantique for IoT innovation
IDQ is delighted to announce we were amongst the winners of this year’s NATO Communications and Innovation (NCI) Agency Defence Innovation Challenge. In a competitive field, open to organisations from across the NATO alliance, we were recognised for our work in the field of securing IoT devices. Indeed, ID Quantique proposes an architecture for Quantum-Safe Communication for IoT and connected devices in an operational environment.
The awards were presented at NITEC18, the NCI Agency Industry Conference, which took place in Berlin in May of this year. The event attracts a variety of senior public and private sector leaders who are seeking to discuss digital transformation and communications challenges facing NATO in the years ahead.
The alliance is currently undergoing its largest technology modernization project since the end of the Cold War. The successful outcome of this transformation will, in no small part, depend upon industry’s understanding of the context of this transformation and the desired outcomes.
“We are seeking to broaden engagement with innovative technology drivers as NATO undergoes its largest technological modernization in decades,” NCI Agency General Manager Kevin J. Scheid.
This year’s winners have the opportunity to showcase their products and services at next year’s conference, including a presentation slot during one of the plenary sessions and inclusion in the NITEC industry innovation report. More importantly, they gain access to NCI Agency experts and SME mentors.
Cyber security is increasingly important as NATO is positioned to call for bids on contracts worth over €1.2 billion. Much of this will focus on integrated defence systems, advanced software and information management systems; all of which will be dependent upon a secure IT and communication infrastructure featuring an increasing number of connected devices.
“Digital transformation is a culture” explains Brig. Gen Jens-Olaf Koltermann (Chief of Division Cyber/IT Governance for Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence). “Not just for a company, but for the nation. The IT budget was always the first to be cut. Not anymore”.
“Organizations around the world are realizing how vitally important quantum-safe encryption will be in the next five to ten years”, said Grégoire Ribordy, CEO of IDQ “and the need to put in appropriate safeguards immediately. We are very happy for this new award from the NCI Agency which shows the interest and belief in our technology”.
For more information, contact: Catherine.simondi@idquantique.com
About the Challenge
The NCI Agency Defence Innovation Challenge is aimed at accelerating transformational technology solutions from SMEs and academia in support of the agency’s mission. It is open to SMEs and academic institutions at the cutting edge of technology from all 29 member-states.
The 2018 Challenge was all about digital innovation, with submissions spanning mobile apps for defence and government users, data science applications and secure federation of IoT devices.
About the NCI Agency
The NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency was established in 2012 as a result of the merger of a number of former NATO agencies. Its mission is to strengthen the Alliance through the delivery of secure, coherent, cost-effective and interoperable communications and information systems.
The NCI Agency aims to be recognised as the trusted enabler of information superiority and enterprise excellence. Utilising best practice to develop, deliver, connect and protect; it seeks to earn customer confidence through agility and innovation.
