Tokyo, October 11, 2022 – The NEC C&C Foundation today announced that the 2022 C&C Prize will be awarded to Dr. Charles H. Bennett (IBM Fellow, IBM Research) and Prof. Gilles Brassard (Professor of Computer Science, Université de Montréal & Turing Chair for Quantum Software, QuSoft) for Pioneering Research on Quantum Cryptography and Essential Contributions to the Establishment of Quantum Information Theory
Achievement
Cryptography is one of the fundamental technologies that protect the security of information. However, most current cryptographic techniques, including those used in electronic commerce, are only computationally secure. In particular, they will become decipherable when quantum computers are put into practical use. This may also occur with the discovery of new algorithms, even for classical computers. The inability to detect the presence of eavesdroppers, as well as the possibility to harvest currently indecipherable messages now and decrypt them later, is a significant weakness, which it would be advisable to remedy in the network of the future. For this reason, quantum cryptography, introduced by Dr. Bennett and Prof. Brassard, is attracting attention as a cryptographic technology whose present and future security is guaranteed by the laws of physics.
For their invention and development of quantum cryptography and their role in founding the field of quantum information science, Dr. Bennett and Prof. Brassard are well deserving of the C&C Prize.. Each recipient will be recognized with a certificate of merit and a plaque. Each group will also receive a cash award of ten million yen.
The C&C Prize
The C&C Prize was established in 1985 and is awarded to distinguished persons in recognition of outstanding contributions to R&D activities and pioneering work related to the integration of computers and communications technologies and the social impact of developments in these fields. This year’s two recipient groups are outlined below.
The prize ceremony and acceptance speeches will be held on Thursday, November 24 from 15:30 at the ANA InterContinental Tokyo which will be streamed live to those who apply at the Foundation’s website.
