The Canadian Space Agency awarded over CA$1.4 million (approximately over $970,000) to QEYnet in Maple, Ontario, to develop and demonstrate Earth-to-space quantum key distribution technology and address cybersecurity challenges in satellite communication.QEYnet’s QKD project will test the ability to load encryption keys in orbit, conduct Earth-based QKD demonstrations, and validate the technology’s operational framework through space-based testing.This funding supports the CSA’s 2022 initiative to advance research and development in space technologies, enabling Canadian organizations to gain flight heritage and enhance technological capabilities.

Canada has announced over CA$74 million (approximately $52 million) in funding for 107 quantum science projects, in order to advance quantum technologies in areas like quantum computing, communications, encryption, materials, and sensing. The funding aligns with Canada’s National Quantum Strategy and includes partnerships with private, public, and international organizations.The projects will enhance Canada’s quantum capabilities through collaborations across regional innovation hubs, cultivating connections between universities and organizations.International collaborations are a key focus of the funding, with targeted initiatives involving France’s Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) and the US National Science Foundation.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $71 million in funding for 25 projects in high energy physics that will use the emerging technologies of quantum information science to answer fundamental questions about the universe.

China is building a state-of-the-art attosecond laser facility to observe ultrafast particle behavior and drive innovation in science and technology, Guangdong Today reports.The Advanced Attosecond Laser Infrastructure (AALI), spanning sites in Dongguan and Xi’an, will feature 10 beamlines and 22 research terminals, enabling breakthroughs in fields like quantum computing and biomedicine.Attosecond lasers, capable of capturing electron motion at quintillionths of a second, provide unprecedented precision for studying microscopic phenomena and fostering high-tech industries, including quantum computing.

South Korea plans to establish a Quantum Strategy Committee by the first quarter of this year to drive its national quantum technology development, according to Vice Minister Lee Chang-yoon.The committee, created under the “Act on the Promotion of Quantum Science and Technology and Quantum Industry,” will involve government ministries, academia and industry to shape strategies for advancing quantum innovation.Despite delays due to political challenges, preparations for the committee’s launch are complete, with experts predicting 2025 will be a transformative year for South Korea’s quantum technology sector.

Eurofiber has partnered with Quantum Bridge and Juniper Networks to deliver quantum-safe communication solutions using distributed symmetric key establishment (DSKE) technology, securing data transfers against quantum cyber threats.DSKE automates symmetric key creation and distribution, combining the scalability of public key infrastructure, the security of quantum key distribution (QKD), and the simplicity of pre-shared keys to resist quantum attacks.At a central bank demonstration in Rome, the partnership showcased DSKE’s seamless integration with Juniper Networks’ SRX firewalls to protect financial systems.

Retelit, Telebit, and ThinkQuantum successfully tested Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over a single optical fiber, demonstrating its ability to secure data transmission without requiring additional dedicated channels.The trial combined Retelit’s fiber-optic infrastructure, ThinkQuantum’s quantum devices developed with the University of Padua, and Telebit’s system integration expertise, proving QKD’s scalability, cost-effectiveness, and interference-free performance.QKD ensures unbreakable encryption by detecting any interception attempts, making it a viable solution for sectors handling sensitive data, such as finance, healthcare, energy, and government.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced six new pilot projects under the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL), providing $1 million each over 12 months to advance quantum technologies and expand access to specialized tools and testbeds.

Seit vergangenem Donnerstag gibt es eine über 900 Kilometer lange Teststrecke für quantenverschlüsselte Datenkommunikation zwischen Berlin und Bonn. Innovationspartner aus Telekommunikation, Cybersicherheit und angewandter Forschung haben im Förderprojekt DemoQuanDT zusammengearbeitet. Der erfolgreiche Erstbetrieb ist nicht nur ein wichtiger Meilenstein für das vom Bundesforschungsministerium (BMBF) geförderte Projekt, die Teststrecke steht gleichfalls beispielhaft für die partnerschaftliche Zusammenarbeit von Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft bei der Erforschung der Quantenkommunikation.

In a groundbreaking experiment, researchers have successfully demonstrated the use of drones to distribute quantum keys, paving the way for secure wireless communication between mobile nodes. Led by Xiao-Hui Tian and Ran Yang, the team developed compact systems for acquiring, pointing, and tracking, as well as quantum key distribution modules, which were loaded onto a homemade octocopter weighing 30 kilograms. Over a distance of 200 meters, they achieved an average secret key rate of 8.48 kilohertz using a polarization-coded decoy-state BB84 protocol.