The digital world relies on a silent guardian, a complex set of algorithms working behind the scenes to protect our data. This year, the architects of that protection – Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen – have been recognized with the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Information and Communication Technologies. The award, announced in February 2026, honors their groundbreaking work on the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), a cryptographic algorithm now integral to billions of connected devices worldwide.
The BBVA Foundation, established in 2008 by the Spanish banking group BBVA, annually recognizes significant contributions to scientific research and cultural creation. The Information and Communication Technologies category specifically highlights advancements that reshape our digital landscape. This year’s award underscores the profound impact of Daemen and Rijmen’s work, which has become a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity.
The story of AES begins in the 1990s, a time when existing encryption systems were showing their age. The Data Encryption Standard (DES), recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was becoming increasingly vulnerable after two decades of use. NIST launched a public competition to develop a successor – a faster, more secure algorithm to become the new standard. Daemen and Rijmen, building on their doctoral work in the mathematical foundations of cryptography, rose to the challenge.
Their creation, initially named Rijndael – a portmanteau of their names – underwent rigorous scrutiny from the scientific community. In 2001, Rijndael was selected as the new U.S. Standard for data encryption, becoming the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Four years later, it gained international recognition as the global standard. According to the BBVA Foundation, AES has since “become an intrinsic part of everyday life,” safeguarding everything from online banking transactions to mobile communications.
The power of AES lies not only in its security but also in its speed. The algorithm is commonly integrated into the chips of devices we use daily – computers, smartphones, Wi-Fi routers, and even smart home devices – enabling rapid and reliable encryption. The BBVA Foundation noted that the algorithm has also demonstrated resilience against potential attacks, even from future quantum computers.
Daemen and Rijmen’s decision to release Rijndael as an open-source algorithm was also pivotal. This move fostered transparency and allowed the cryptographic community to examine and improve upon their work. As the BBVA Foundation stated, the open-source nature of AES has made it a foundational element in computer security education worldwide.
Joan Daemen, born in 1965 in Achel, Belgium, earned a PhD from KU Leuven in 1995. His career has spanned both academia and industry, including roles at STMicroelectronics and, since 2015, as a professor of symmetric cryptography at Radboud University in the Netherlands, where he currently heads the Digital Security Group. He is currently co-chairing the scientific program of Eurocrypt 2026. Vincent Rijmen, also Belgian, collaborated with Daemen on Rijndael and has continued to contribute significantly to the field of cryptography.
This award isn’t the first time the Frontiers of Knowledge Award has recognized the importance of cryptography. In 2017, Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, Ronald Rivest, and Adi Shamir were honored for their fundamental contributions to the field, specifically their work on the RSA algorithm. The continued recognition of cryptographic research highlights its critical role in safeguarding our increasingly digital world.
Daemen and Rijmen’s work stands as a testament to the power of fundamental research to address real-world challenges. Their algorithm, born from mathematical principles, now underpins the security of countless systems and protects the privacy of billions of people. The BBVA Foundation concluded that their contribution “stands as a prime example of how fundamental theory can lead to a world-changing technology and to practical applications affecting billions of people.”
Looking ahead, the need for robust encryption will only continue to grow as our reliance on digital technologies expands. Daemen is currently involved in the ESCADA project, focused on the foundations of security in symmetric cryptography, and the SCALAR project, which aims to optimize symmetric crypto for modern hardware. These ongoing efforts demonstrate a continued commitment to advancing the field and ensuring the security of our digital future.
Further information about the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award can be found on the BBVA announcement page.
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