A newly established consortium, QUARTER, has raised more than €7 million to increase the maturity and readiness of quantum cryptography technologies for deployment within the EuroQCI initiative. Formed by Telefonica, Thales, Tecnobit, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Fragmentix, Quside, Chilas and LuxQuanta, the QUARTER Consortium will work together to ensure a significant advancement towards the deployment of a quantum-secure network for Europe.
The QUARTER consortium, which stands for Quantum Cryptography Technology for Europe, has received funding from the DIGITAL Europe Programme, and gathers an unprecedented cluster of specialised and experienced companies in the sector. LuxQuanta, Quside, Chilas, and Fragmentix, are renowned manufacturers in quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum random number generators (QRNG), high-performance laser sources, and classical security solutions, respectively. Alongside these innovative companies, the consortium is proud to partner with Telefonica, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tecnobit, and Thales, distinguished and well-established leaders in quantum technologies, security solutions, and telecommunications in Europe.
Under LuxQuanta’s leadership, QUARTER aims to increase the maturity of Quantum Key Distribution and its related technologies while defining a clear industrialisation roadmap to ensure their successful deployment. The consortium will actively participate in standardisation groups to contribute to Quantum Key Distribution’s (QKD) certification framework, paving the way for its integration into telecommunications products and services, and supporting its deployment within the EuroQCI initiative.
By 2027, the EuroQCI initiative plans to have deployed a secure quantum communication infrastructure spanning the entire EU. Proper protection of its network infrastructure is critical for Europe to prevent any type of malicious attack and safeguard its most sensitive data. Within this context, QUARTER will play a crucial role in the development of cutting-edge European technologies for this implementation, ensuring its sovereignty in the vital domains of quantum communications and cryptography.
QUARTER's efforts will advance state-of-the-art quantum communications, propelling the Union to become an industry leader in Quantum Cryptography and ultimately ensure the protection of its citizens and organisations.
Vanesa Diaz, CEO of LuxQuanta, said: “QUARTER is made up of some of the most innovative and powerful businesses and organisations within our industry, and this investment demonstrates the importance of quantum technology within cybersecurity. We are honoured to be leading the consortium in such a critical task of developing the technologies that will keep European networks secure.
“Partnering with these specialist companies, we are truly excited to see what progress can be made over the next few years. The world is recognizing the need for quantum cryptography, and we must help it prepare for this new era of cybersecurity”
7 million Euro awarded to advance the deployment of a European Quantum-Secure Network
