Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) is participating in the IberianQCI project, a strategic initiative within the European EuroQCI (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure) program that aims to develop a secure quantum communications network between Portugal and Spain.
The project, led at IT by Armando Nolasco Pinto, was officially launched at the facilities of Infraestruturas de Portugal in Almada, reinforcing the growing collaboration between scientific, technological, and industrial partners from both countries in the field of quantum communications.
IberianQCI represents the southwestern European segment of the future EuroQCI infrastructure, which seeks to establish ultra-secure communication channels across the European Union and protect critical infrastructures and sensitive information.
As part of the initiative, Portugal and Spain will interconnect their national quantum communication infrastructures through a hybrid terrestrial and space-based network, fully interoperable with the future European architecture.
The terrestrial segment will connect Vigo, Spain, and Valença, Portugal, through trusted nodes, enhancing cross-border connectivity. Meanwhile, the space component includes the deployment of optical ground stations in Madrid, Barcelona, and southern Portugal, linked to Lisbon and capable of communicating with the EAGLE-1 satellite and future European quantum satellite constellations.
Instituto de Telecomunicações contributes its expertise in advanced telecommunications research and quantum technologies, supporting the development of resilient and scalable communication systems capable of addressing future cybersecurity challenges.
According to the project partners, the combination of terrestrial and space-based quantum networks will be essential for overcoming the physical limitations of optical fibre in long-distance quantum communications.
The initiative also addresses the growing challenges that quantum computing poses to current encryption methods. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) leverages the laws of quantum physics to enable the secure distribution of cryptographic keys, ensuring protection even against attacks from quantum computers.
The IberianQCI consortium is coordinated by Indra Space and brings together leading organisations from Portugal and Spain, including Infraestruturas de Portugal, IP Telecom, Altice Labs, Instituto Superior Técnico, Telefónica, CSIC, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
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