OPENQKD Pilot Test Launches in Europe to Boost Security of Critical Applications

(EC.Europa) September 2 was the launch of a pilot project, OPENQKD, that will install a test quantum communication infrastructure in several European countries. It will boost the security of critical applications in the fields of telecommunications, health care, electricity supply and government services.
The project OPENQKD will aim to bring about a change in the way we see, understand and use quantum communication. Its main focus is to create and test a communication network infrastructure with a built-in quantum element, using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a ultra-secure form of encryption that allows data to be transmitted with a very high level of security.
Roberto Viola, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, said: “This project will make a key contribution to ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of research into quantum technologies and their applications which, among many other uses, have the potential to transform the way that we communicate securely. The EU has already shown that it is serious about quantum by launching in 2018 the Quantum Technologies Flagship, a €1 billion initiative that will fund cutting-edge research over the next ten years.