The EuroQCI’s first implementation phase started in January 2023 with the support of the Commission’s Digital Europe Programme, with a focus on the following areas:
- A set of industrial projects to develop and mature the key technological building blocks for the EuroQCI, with the aim of developing Europe’s quantum communication ecosystem and industry.
- National projects allowing Member States to design and build the national quantum communication networks that will form the basis of the terrestrial segment, testing different technologies and protocols and adapting them to the specific needs of each country.
- A coordination and support action, PETRUS, to act as a link between all projects, facilitate collaboration, and identify standardisation needs.
These first Digital Europe projects will together make it possible to take the first steps towards services offering operational quantum key distribution (QKD), a highly secure way of delivering encryption key material. More information about these projects will be available soon.
