A new laboratory dedicated to research and education in quantum communication, a technology enabling virtually unhackable data transmission, has opened at Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT). The facility was officially launched by the university’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and includes an experimental and testing network, known as a “polygon,” designed to verify and develop quantum technologies. The laboratory was built with an investment of approximately CZK 30 million, supported by European funding, and was developed in close cooperation with Palacký University Olomouc.

Quantum technologies are expected to play a critical role in protecting sensitive data and communications against future threats associated with the rise of quantum computing. Quantum communication systems could be applied across sectors where data security is essential, including healthcare, defence and security services, nuclear energy, and public administration.

The new laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering will focus not only on research and testing of quantum communication systems, but also on educating the next generation of specialists in quantum technologies. The testing polygon will be available to CVUT students as part of specialised education programs, as well as to university partners and other institutions involved in the development of quantum technologies in the Czech Republic.

The facility was established as part of the CZ.QCI project, developed in close collaboration with Palacký University Olomouc. The project’s objective is to build a secure national quantum communication infrastructure in the Czech Republic that will become part of the broader European Quantum Communication Infrastructure initiative, known as EuroQCI.

The CZ.QCI project is focused on creating a pilot version of the Czech national backbone quantum communication network. The infrastructure will serve to test relevant technologies and support their integration into existing telecommunications networks. The pilot backbone network will connect Prague, Brno, and Ostrava, becoming the country’s first long-distance quantum communication network.

The initiative forms part of the wider European effort to establish the EuroQCI infrastructure, which aims to prepare all EU member states for the deployment of secure quantum communication systems by 2030.
 
Source: https://ceskenoviny.cz/
Author: CzechTrade Sydney