Quantum's Industrial Revolution: SEALSQ at the Forefront of the 'Lab to Fab' Shift
- Millions of qubits needed: Quantum computing requires scaling from a handful to millions of qubits for practical applications.
- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): SEALSQ is developing quantum-resistant semiconductor chips to counter quantum threats.
- Industry collaboration: The GSA forum brings together semiconductor leaders, startups, and researchers to tackle quantum scaling challenges.
Experts agree that the transition from lab-scale quantum experiments to industrial-scale fabrication is the critical bottleneck, requiring collaboration across semiconductor manufacturing, quantum research, and cybersecurity.
Quantum's Industrial Revolution: SEALSQ at the Forefront of the 'Lab to Fab' Shift
MUNICH, GERMANY – June 10, 2026 – The hushed, climate-controlled environments of quantum physics laboratories are about to collide with the high-volume, high-precision world of semiconductor fabrication. This week, at the prestigious Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) European Executive Forum, a critical conversation is taking center stage, one that could define the next era of computing. The topic isn't a distant academic theory; it's a pressing industrial challenge: "Quantum Semiconductors – Scaling from Lab to Fab."
Leading this pivotal discussion is Carlos Moreira, CEO of SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES), a company positioning itself at the very heart of this technological convergence. His moderation of the panel signals more than just a speaking engagement; it’s a strategic move that places the Geneva-based firm at the nexus of quantum hardware development and the cybersecurity imperatives of a post-quantum world. The forum, a gathering of the semiconductor industry's most influential leaders, is focused this year on the race for relevance in AI, physical intelligence, and quantum—and it is the latter that holds both immense promise and profound challenges.
The Industrialization of the Quantum Realm
For years, quantum computing has been a story of scientific breakthroughs measured in single, fragile qubits. But to build a machine capable of solving world-altering problems—from drug discovery to climate modeling—the industry needs to scale from a handful of qubits to millions. This is no longer just a physics problem; it is an industrial engineering problem of staggering complexity. The "Lab to Fab" transition is the critical bottleneck, and its solution, many experts agree, lies in the one industry that has mastered manufacturing at the atomic scale: the semiconductor industry.
The panel Moreira will lead on Thursday morning is a microcosm of the collaborative ecosystem required to tackle this challenge. It features a formidable lineup of European leaders: Albert Heuberger from the Fraunhofer Microelectronics Group, Germany's applied research powerhouse; Julian van Velzen from the Capgemini Quantum Lab, representing the software and application layer; and the founders of two pioneering startups, Laurent Guiraud of ColibriTD and Maud Vinet of Quobly, who are at the coalface of building quantum systems.
The core idea is to leverage the decades of investment and expertise poured into existing CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) manufacturing processes—the same technology used to make the chips in our smartphones and data centers. Maud Vinet, whose company Quobly is developing silicon-based qubits, articulated this strategy perfectly. “Useful quantum computing will require millions of qubits. Reaching that scale is not only a scientific challenge, it is an industrial one,” she stated. “At Quobly, we have chosen from the start to develop silicon qubits compatible with semiconductor manufacturing processes, allowing us to build on decades of industrial expertise and infrastructure.”
This approach promises to accelerate development, drive down costs, and improve reliability, transforming quantum processors from bespoke lab curiosities into mass-produced components. As Carlos Moreira noted ahead of the forum, “Semiconductors are at the heart of both challenges, enabling the industrialization of quantum technologies while providing the trusted hardware foundation for quantum-resistant cybersecurity solutions.”
The Two-Sided Quantum Coin: Power and Peril
The race to build a powerful quantum computer is shadowed by an equally urgent race to defend against it. A sufficiently powerful quantum machine could, in theory, break the encryption standards like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) that protect virtually all of our digital lives, from banking and e-commerce to government and military communications. This looming threat has given rise to a new field: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC).
This is the other side of SEALSQ's strategic coin. While the industry grapples with building quantum computers, SEALSQ is focused on creating the digital shields to withstand them. The company is a leading innovator in developing Post-Quantum Semiconductors—chips with new, quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms built directly into the silicon. This hardware-based approach provides a deeper, more resilient layer of security than software-only solutions.
Moreira eloquently captured this duality in his pre-forum statement: “Quantum computing and Post-Quantum Cryptography represent two sides of the same technological revolution. As industry races to build scalable quantum computers, organizations worldwide must also prepare their security infrastructures for the quantum era.” This dual focus—enabling the quantum future while securing the present—is what sets SEALSQ's strategy apart. The firm is not just a spectator to the quantum revolution; it is actively building the tools for both its creation and its containment.
From Theory to the Racetrack: Quantum Tech in the Real World
While discussions in Munich will focus on future scaling, SEALSQ is already demonstrating the real-world value of its quantum-related technologies in one of the most demanding environments on Earth: Formula One. The company’s partnership with the BWT Alpine Formula One Team is a masterclass in translating advanced tech theory into practical application. An Alpine F1 showcar is prominently displayed at the forum, a sleek, carbon-fiber symbol of this high-speed collaboration.
The partnership goes far beyond a simple logo on a car. SEALSQ is working with the team to investigate and apply its technologies to protect data, authenticate devices, and enable secure, high-speed decision-making. In a sport where a thousandth of a second can be the difference between winning and losing, and where terabytes of sensitive telemetry data are transmitted in real-time, robust and future-proof security is not a luxury—it's a competitive necessity. The goal is to make Alpine one of the first F1 teams fully protected against the emerging threats of the quantum era.
This move toward immediate, practical application is a sentiment echoed by other panelists. Laurent Guiraud, CEO of ColibriTD, emphasized that his company is “already working with customers to solve concrete industrial problems today using quantum computing calculation capabilities.” He sees his firm's platform as a bridge, “allowing enterprises across key sectors to capture immediate value today through hybrid quantum-classical optimizations." This focus on current, tangible value is a crucial step in building market confidence and driving the entire ecosystem forward.
Charting the Path Forward in a Crowded Field
By moderating this GSA panel, Carlos Moreira is not just asking questions; he is shaping the narrative for one of the most significant technological transitions of the 21st century. SEALSQ's leadership role at this forum underscores its ambition to be a central player in the quantum ecosystem, providing the foundational semiconductor hardware for both quantum computing and quantum-resistant security.
The journey from lab to fab is not one any single company can make alone. It requires a concerted effort from research institutions like Fraunhofer, industrial-scale manufacturers, software developers like Capgemini, and agile startups like Quobly and ColibriTD. The Munich panel is a powerful demonstration of this collaborative imperative in action.
The discussions this week are a clear signal that the quantum era is moving beyond theoretical physics and into the realm of industrial engineering and strategic business implementation. The challenges are immense, but the convergence of quantum science and semiconductor manufacturing represents an opportunity to build a new foundation for computing, security, and technological progress for decades to come.
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