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. SMART Photonics will manufacture quantum-limited photonic integrated circuits optimised for high-volume and cost-effective production
