ARQUIMEA multiplies by 10 the performance of technologies that will protect our communications from the quantum threat.

ARQUIMEA Research Center, the R&D hub of the ARQUIMEA Group based in the Canary Islands, has achieved a key breakthrough in the field of cybersecurity: a new implementation of the FrodoKEM algorithm on FPGA that multiplies performance by a factor of 10 compared to traditional software-only solutions. This development positions Spain as one of the leading countries in designing solutions against the next major technological threat: quantum computing.

This breakthrough comes at a critical moment. Quantum computing, though still under development, is emerging as one of the most disruptive technologies of the 21st century. Its ability to solve problems that are currently unsolvable also poses a major risk: it will be capable of breaking the cryptographic algorithms that today protect our communications, financial transactions, critical infrastructure, and defense systems.

In response to this challenge, a global race is underway to develop protective technologies suited to this new landscape. This is known as post-quantum cryptography: a set of algorithms designed with today’s tools to withstand future quantum attacks.

ARQUIMEA has been investing in this strategic area for over five years, driven by the belief that technological sovereignty and national cybersecurity depend on anticipating this scenario. The solution developed by its team in the Canary Islands is based on a hardware/software co-design approach, combining a RISC-V processor with custom-designed accelerators for the most resource-intensive operations of the algorithm, such as matrix multiplication and Gaussian sampling.

The result is an efficient, secure, and adaptable architecture that does not rely on compiler-level optimizations—enhancing its suitability for highly sensitive environments. Moreover, this technology is part of a broader strategy aimed at ensuring crypto-agility: the ability to adapt systems to different quantum-resistant algorithms without compromising performance.

This new milestone further strengthens ARQUIMEA’s role as a key player in the development of critical technologies from Spain and highlights the Canary Islands’ potential as a hub for disruptive innovation. The company emphasizes the need for such developments to be incorporated into national and European strategies for digital sovereignty and technological security as a means to anticipate future challenges.