As quantum computing transitions from the NISQ era to the early fault-tolerant (Early FTQC) regime, the field faces an urgent need for cross-layer design automation (QDA) methodologies that bridge algorithms, compilers, and hardware. In this emerging phase, where logical qubits will remain scarce, noisy, and resource-intensive, progress depends critically on automating key design tasks that have long been central to classical EDA: resource estimation, physical modeling, placement and routing, timing analysis, and calibration optimization. This special session brings together researchers spanning quantum architecture, compiler optimization, circuit synthesis, and device modeling to discuss how design-automation principles can accelerate the realization of Early FTQC. The session will conclude with an outlook on open-source infrastructures and benchmarking methodologies to foster reproducibility and community collaboration. Attendees will gain a holistic understanding of how design-automation concepts can drive the next leap from prototype-scale NISQ devices toward robust, scalable Early FTQC systems.
