Project overview

SEQRET is an EU funded project in the frame of the Digital Europe Programme focusing on the development of secure and industrialized Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems for European telecommunication networks.

In today’s telecommunication, cryptography plays a crucial role in protecting data from unauthorized access and therefore keeping critical or even classified information secret. QKD is a paradigm shifting technology, offering unparalleled long-term security and protection of data. For this, QKD generates keys that are private to the legitimate users and unknown to any attacker, now or in the future. Using these keys with the already-deployed symmetric cryptography enables a future-proof cryptographic solution.

Our goal is to advance QKD to a larger market, to secure Europe’s sovereignty in the digital era. To do this, we are taking advantage of the latest scientific breakthroughs in telecommunication, high-frequency electronics, photonic integration, and digital post-processing. We focus on a special type of QKD based on continuous variables (CV-QKD), which can be realized by operating standard coherent telecommunication technology at the quantum limit. By piggybacking existing telecommunication technology, we can propel quantum technology from the lab directly into the real world.

  • High TRL QKD system

    SEQRET will industrialize state-of-the-art QKD systems to allow for medium-volume manufacturing and enable a secure production process.

  • QKD Scalability

    Photonic Integrated Circuits provide cost, size and power reduction but also serve as the basis for medium-volume manufacturing.

  • Adapted QKD Security Proof

    QKD security proofs are currently only available in the form of academic papers. SEQRET will unify the necessary papers into a single security proof, adapted to the QKD system.

  • Certifiability for QKD

    SEQRET will enable the world's first certifiable QKD system by developing all necessary documents for a Common Criteria certification.

  • Evaluation Eco-System

    SEQRET will build help grow the necessary eco-system for certification and evaluation.

We place great value on building a production chain that is based on European suppliers. We follow the paradigm of leaving existing architectures as untouched as possible and therefore try to ensure compatibility with existing fiber optic networks. The project is a part of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) initiative to establish a secure quantum communication network across Europe in collaboration with other partners and projects.

Partners

KEEQuant leads the consortium, bringing their QKD know-how to the table, while Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity is entrusted with integrating initial prototypes into their secure platform and product design process. SMART Photonics will manufacture quantum-limited photonic integrated circuits optimised for high-volume and cost-effective production. Dacoso is making sure the product will be accessible to future customers, by delivering the full life-cycle process and documentation necessary for the deployment of high-security QKD devices. Network operators EXATEL, Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center, and CESNET bring in real-world requirements to influence product design early on, ensuring good product-market fit. This collaborative effort aims to ensure a fully cybersecure system integration, promising a quantum-ready future for Europe.

News from the project

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  • PETRUS EuroQCI
  • Trade Fairs

Contact

Coordinator: KEEQuant GmbH

The project is funded under the Digital Europe Programme within the framework of EuroQCI under the DIGITAL-2021-QCI-01-INDUSTRIAL call with the project ID 101091591.