Technische Universität Graz

Logo Technical University Graz Graz University of Technology (TUG) was founded in 1811 by Archduke Johann and bundles its research into 5 fields of expertise: "Advanced Materials Science", "Human & Biotechnology", "Information, Communication & Computing" (ICC), "Mobility & Production", and "Sustainable Systems". Relevant to the PREPARED project, researchers in the field of ICC are facing the challenges of the information age, for example data security and the efficient use of constantly growing volumes of data. In particular, the Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communications (IAIK) is involved in the PREPARED project. IAIK is Austria's largest university institute for research and teaching in the field of security and data protection. It was founded in 1986 and currently employs more than 60 researchers. The institute is part of the Faculty of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering (CS&BME).

IAIK is one of the leading research institutes in the field of cyber security and focuses on the following four areas: (1) Cryptology & Data Protection, (2) Formal Methods, (3) System Security and (4) Secure Applications. In total, the institute's researchers have published more than 1,000 scientific papers. Among the sparkling highlights of IAIK research are the processor vulnerabilities known as "Meltdown" and "Spectre". Furthermore, cryptographers from the institute have contributed to major worldwide competitions in cryptography; such as AES, SHA-3, CAESAR and ASCON, and these contributions have always been shortlisted or even won the competition. In addition, IAIK offers about 20 courses at the Bachelor and Master level, and works closely with research groups and industrial partners around the world. It is also very active in national and European research projects.

In PREPARED, the participating IAIK/TUG research team focuses on post-quantum-secure and privacy-optimized Austrian eGovernment. In particular, the aspect of signing documents so that as little information of individuals as possible is disclosed. And also wallet-based identity systems; e.g., to strengthen the privacy of the population when deriving personal identifiers.