François-Xavier Standaert Wins One of the Prestigious FNRS Quinquennial Prizes

The FNRS Quinquennial Awards ceremony (November 24, 2025), presided over by His Majesty King Philippe, once again highlighted the excellence of research conducted in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Of the six awards presented this year, four went to researchers from UCLouvain, confirming the University's position among the most internationally recognised research institutions.

The Prize in Applied Sciences (Dr. A. De Leeuw-Damry-Bourlart Prize) was awarded to François-Xavier Standaert, FNRS Research Director within the Crypto Group at ICTEAM, UCLouvain. According to the jury, ‘François-Xavier Standaert is one of the world's leading researchers in the field of cryptographic hardware and embedded systems. He is the originator of fundamental principles enabling the construction of leak-resistant computer hardware and the implementation of cryptographic protocols and algorithms in software.’

In front of a large audience gathered at Bozar, the President of the FNRS and Rector of UCLouvain, Françoise Smets, recalled that these prizes "reward those who, with audacity and perseverance, push the boundaries of knowledge in the service of society. "
The UCLouvain winners fully illustrate this commitment.

Picture : (c) Belga