Luxembourg University has announced the development of a Luxembourg Quantum Communications Infrastructure Laboratory. A 5-year project funded by the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility will be built as part of the NextGenerationEU initiative, aimed at building a national testbed in 2023 for advanced and applied research in quantum key distribution and quantum internet - a vital stage in the next generation of computing and internet usage.

Luxembourg wants to remain the world's leading communication hub it has become over the last decade. "That is why we have taken it upon ourselves, through SnT’s scientific leadership, to lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s quantum communication infrastructure,” stated Prime Minister and Minister for Communication and Media, Xavier Bettel. As one of Europe's smallest countries, Luxembourg is also home to Estonia's data embassy.

“The LUQCIA infrastructure will give University of Luxembourg researchers unique tools to optimise cybersecurity for the upcoming quantum communication technology,” stated the rector of the University of Luxembourg, Stéphane Pallage.

The majority of the information we exchange over the internet is encrypted and decrypted using keys. As computers become more powerful, the time it takes for a hacker to be able to break this encryption decreases. There is, however, a new field of cybersecurity called Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) that aims to better secure our data even against quantum computers.

LUQCIA aims to create and implement an ultra-secure communication infrastructure using quantum technology. A minimum of two geographically separated sites will be connected to the LUQCIA research infrastructure. A terrestrial network will form the core of LUQCIA, and follow-up activities will integrate the space segment.

The LUQCIA lab will be open to national and international stakeholders for joint research activities in 2023 as part of SnT's Partnership Programme.

Photo credit: fabio