Ireland, Germany, Greece and Luxembourg unite to establish a quantum-secure network with optical ground stations across the European Continent in new TransEuroOGS project
Waterford’s Walton Institute at South East Technological University leads the project in Ireland. TransEuroOGS, a new research and deployment project in the EuroQCI initiative, has a budget of approximately €18 million; co-funded by four member state national Governments and the European Union - in Ireland the project is co-funded by the Government’s Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
TransEuroOGS will provide a quantum-secure space-to-ground network interface for satellite-based communication with a total of eight interoperable optical ground stations (OGS) in Ireland, Germany, Greece and Luxembourg. As part of Europe’s EuroQCI initiative, an EU-wide quantum communications infrastructure programme involving all participating EU member states, the TransEuroOGS project addresses challenges to secure transnational communication in the EU by utilizing the unique security principles of quantum technologies, especially in quantum key distribution (QKD). Furthermore, the project aims to contribute to a unified European standard for interoperability among the optical ground stations participating in EuroQCI and thus strengthens the technological sovereignty of Europe and its Member States.
In Ireland, Walton Institute at South East Technological University (SETU) leads the national ecosystem, which includes Galway-based industry partner Mbryonics. TransEuroOGS forms phase two of Ireland’s participation in the QCI (quantum communication infrastructure) programme, which is also part of the wider EuroQCI initiative. The Irish element of the project will involve the development of a mobile OGS to conduct feasibility studies for future fixed OGS sites and will also connect to the EuroQCI Eagle-1 satellite, SAGA and other future missions. The Irish Government’s Department of Culture, Communications and Sport will co-fund the project in Ireland up to €5.7 million.
Speaking today, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, said: “The funding being announced today will support a 42-month long project to develop a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)-secured satellite ground station in Ireland by leading researchers and innovators based in Waterford and Galway. This funding provides for the building of key indigenous skills and capacities, helping both to strengthen research in quantum communications and support the growth of innovative Irish companies.
As an island nation, QKD-secure satellite communication will be essential for Ireland’s future participation in highly secure pan-European connectivity services. It is becoming increasingly important to build new quantum communication technologies and networks to allow for the transmission of highly sensitive data and to ensure our networks’ long-term security. This funding provides for the development of secure connectivity services to address existing cybersecurity concerns and safeguard the fundamental sovereignty of communication across the EU contributing to Ireland’s security, defence and diplomatic communications.”
Dr. Deirdre Kilbane, Director of Research at Walton Institute, SETU, and Irish National Coordinator of TransEuroOGS, said: “Walton Institute at SETU is proud to lead national efforts in the TransEuroOGS project to secure sensitive data and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. Alongside our partners in Greece, Germany, and Luxembourg we are building a network of optical ground stations that will seamlessly link earth and space to deliver quantum-secure, cross-border connectivity across Europe.”
Dr. Torsten Siebert, central coordinator of the TransEuroOGS project from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, Germany, said: “It is a privilege and pleasure to collaborate with all of my colleagues in Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany and Greece for taking on the challenges involved in linking the space and terrestrial segment in EuroQCI with a network of optical ground stations ranging over the northwest to southeast of Europe. In our joint work to demonstrate and establish quantum-secure communication across the geography of the continent, the collaborations in TransEuroOGS stand for the potential we have in all of Europe, when we unite our valuable resources in research and industry. Close collaborations throughout the European community in this field will be at the heart of bringing this key emergent technology one step closer to application in a dedicated contribution to EuroQCI.’’
John Mackey, CEO, Mbryonics, said: "Securing the TransEuroOGS contract with the European Commission for the EuroQCI initiative is a watershed moment for Mbryonics and a proud milestone for Ireland as it steps into the EU Presidency. By designing and building this advanced quantum-enabled optical ground station, we are not just delivering cutting-edge hardware; we are anchoring a vital pillar of Europe's sovereign, quantum-secure future. This capability will safeguard critical national and pan-European communications against the cyber threats of tomorrow, ensuring European technological independence and protecting our shared digital infrastructure on a global scale."
The mission: Quantum-secure communication across borders
TransEuroOGS focuses on the technical harmonisation and interoperability of the eight ground stations participating in the project, as well as their preparation for upcoming satellite missions, which aim to establish space-based quantum-secure communication in Europe. Immediately relevant to this endeavour in Europe will be the EAGLE-1 and SAGA satellite missions, while further missions are in planning.
But the distinctive added value of this project goes beyond achieving alignment and demonstrating interoperability. The geographical distribution of the participating OGS sites is distinct in its range: It spans from northwestern to central and southeastern Europe, encompassing Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, and Greece, and includes locations on islands and the mainland, as well as in rural and urban areas. This encompasses highly diverse metrological conditions in varying local ecosystems together with the coordination of multiple cross-border constellations for satellite-based quantum key distribution among the four participating Member States.
With this unique diversity of geographic locations and local ecosystems, the project will unite the developments in optical ground stations (OGS) and their linkage to local terrestrial fibre networks as an interface between the space and terrestrial segment of EuroQCI. With OGS sites varying in their developments from an initial construction phase to a pre-operation status, a central aim of the project is the alignment in key architectural elements, components and operational parameters that fulfil the protocol requirements of the EAGLE-1 Mission and further prepare for upcoming satellite missions in Europe. These efforts will merge in a demonstration of interoperability to QKD for secure communication utilizing the resources of EAGLE-1 and linkage to local fibre networks for future access of governmental-related as well as public and private applications scenarios in campaigns that connect OGS sites across Europe.
Co-Funded by the EU and national governments
The total project budget amounts to approximately €18 million, with co-funding from the European Commission’s CEF Digital as well as complementary national co-funding from the four participating Member States. The Irish Government’s Department of Culture, Communications and Sport will co-fund the project in Ireland up to €5.7 million. The project will take three and a half years to complete and is a lighthouse in cross-border collaboration, taking the next steps in interconnectivity for realizing a European quantum-secure communication network.
Four EU member state project partners
The project consortium brings together university experts, industry partners leading innovation in the field, and the resource competences of research and technology organisations, as well as national space agencies and ministries from four EU member states, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg.
In Ireland, Walton Institute at SETU leads the national ecosystem, which includes industry partner Mbryonics, based in Galway. The partners from Germany include Fraunhofer IOF as coordinator of the project together with the Institute of Communications and Navigation of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), which leads the national ecosystem. In Luxembourg, the Department of Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy (SMC) is the national coordinator of an ecosystem that encompasses the Sigcom Group at the University of Luxembourg, Restena Foundation and the industry partner HITEC Luxembourg. And in Greece, the National Infrastructures for Research and Technology (GRNET) with the support of the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Posts, leads the Greek national ecosystem, that unites the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, the Hellenic Space Center (HSC), the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), the Artistotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and the Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH).
The TransEuroOGS project kicked off with a consortium meeting in Berlin and Jena recently, where the group visited an existing OGS. The plenary saw a coming-together of some 30 attendees representing 15 partner universities, industry members and research organisations as well as two national space agencies and two national ministries in the project.
