Ireland and the European Union announced a €10 million (approximately $10.6 million) investment in a national quantum communication infrastructure network, the first of its kind in Ireland. The IrelandQCI project, co-funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme and the Irish Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, forms part of the EU-wide EuroQCI initiative, according to the Irish government’s announcement.
Led by the Walton Institute at South East Technological University in Waterford, the 30-month project includes specialists from six universities and industry partners ESB Telecoms and HEAnet. IrelandQCI will establish quantum key distribution (QKD) infrastructure along a major network backbone from Dublin to Cork via Waterford, integrating a quantum channel with existing classical fiber systems.
Minister of State Ossian Smyth said the project will trial 16 quantum security technology scenarios with stakeholders across Ireland’s public, industry, and academic sectors. He noted the State’s Digital Connectivity Strategy, launched earlier in December, recognized the need to facilitate research in emerging technologies such as quantum communication infrastructure.