ÌÇÐÄVlog

On the 5th of May 2026, within the framework of the DEP project LUX4QCI – Luxembourg Experimental Network for Quantum Communication Infrastructure, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT), as the project coordinator, organized the LUX4QCI Liaison Workshop with other EUQCI initiatives. The workshop was held online, and as the project approaches its conclusion in June 2026, it has been a great occasion to share the project outcomes but also discuss challenges, key turning points in the QKD technology development, with the QCI initiatives: EstQCI – Estonian Quantum Communication Infrastructure, BeQCI – Quantum Communication Infrastructure, IrelandQCI – Building a National Quantum Communication Infrastructure for Ireland, HellasQC – Quantum Communication Infrastructure for Greece & NQCIS – National Quantum Communication Infrastructure in Sweden .

The workshop was organised into 30-minute presentations followed by a 15-minute Q&A session for each initiative.

We started with the Lux4QCI project, presented by Dr. Seid Kodua (UNILU), acting as Technical Manager, followed by EstQCI, presented by Mrs. Ingrid Linnas, Project Manager at RIKS; BeQCI, presented by Mr. Emmanuel de Vinck, Senior Project Manager at Belnet; IEQCI, presented by Dr. Deirdre Kilbane, Director of Research at the Walton Institute; HellasQCI, presented by Dr. Alexis Aivaliotis, acting as Technical Manager at GRNET – Greek Research & Technology Network; and NQCIS, presented by Dr. Mohammad Bourenane from Stockholm University.

The idea was to provide an overview of the different project initiatives within the Quantum Key Distribution framework, including their objectives, impacts, and outcomes, as well as to highlight possible obstacles encountered and how these have been addressed.

This was also a valuable opportunity to showcase the different motivations behind the decision to begin deploying QKD technology in various countries. It was interesting to notice the differences and similarities among the projects, different approaches, for example, in the deployment process, as some projects opted for an approach that included the acquisition of most of the technology by external vendors, and others started at lab scale with the implementation and then testing. Moreover, as is the case in many projects, the deployment started through small-scale projects and gradually expanded to include international connectivity, demonstrating promising results for what could eventually become a large-scale deployment at the EU level.

However, there is still work to be done, particularly in terms of dissemination and stakeholder engagement, as there is still a limited understanding of the potential and implications of these technologies across several sectors, including Government and Defense, Finance and Banking, Healthcare, Telecommunications, and Data Centers.