The QUID (Quantum Italy Deployment) project, Italy’s national implementation of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), began in early 2023 with funding from the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme. The project is coordinated by the National Institute of Metrological Research (INRiM) and involves a consortium of 18 public and private partners.
According to the QUID project website, the initiative will deploy quantum key distribution (QKD) systems and networks in seven major Italian cities: Turin, Milan, Padua, Trieste, Florence, Rome, and Naples. These Quantum Metropolitan Area Networks are connected through the Italian Quantum Backbone, a fiber-optic infrastructure spanning over 1,800 km from north to south. Long-distance connections between Bologna-Trieste and Fucino-L’Aquila-Rome are also planned, along with cross-border links to France, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia.
Consortium members include Leonardo, Telecom Italia (TIM), Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space Italia, Telsy, and three Italian companies producing QKD devices: Cohaerentia, QTI, and ThinkQuantum. The Italian Space Agency participates through its Matera Space Center, which will serve as the interface between the terrestrial network and EuroQCI’s space segment.