Austria signed the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) Declaration in Brussels in late February 2020. Magnus Brunner, State Secretary of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), signed on behalf of Austria, joining 23 other EU member states that had committed to developing a quantum-secured communication network within ten years.
Brunner stated that “Austria is pleased to declare the support for the EuroQCI initiative,” calling the declaration “an important step for the European Union towards more independence and technological sovereignty regarding data protection.” He added that Austria believes “quantum technologies will be one of the key mechanics in our digital future.”
Signatory countries agreed to work together with the European Commission and the European Space Agency to prepare an action plan for building a pan-European quantum communication infrastructure combining terrestrial fiber-optic networks and satellite-based components. AIT Austrian Institute of Technology had already been running the OPENQKD pilot project since September 2019, positioning Austria as a leading contributor to the EuroQCI effort.