DARPA’s Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program aims to adapt quantum sensors for mobile defense platforms by overcoming challenges like vibrations and environmental interference.The program will integrate advanced sensors into military systems through collaboration with private-sector manufacturers and government teams.Quantum sensors developed under RoQS could improve navigation in GPS-denied areas and enhance threat detection by stabilizing performance in dynamic environments.

Quantum technologies challenge established systems engineering methodologies by introducing non-classical properties which complicate design, validation, and integration processes.Applications in navigation and radar systems demonstrate quantum technologies’ potential, though practical implementation requires overcoming size, energy efficiency, and cost barriers.Integrating quantum systems requires new systems engineering approaches, including isolating quantum effects within subsystems and developing predictive models tailored to quantum phenomena to reduce trial-and-error inefficiencies.A paper from QinetiQ, Thales, DSTL, and others advocates for a new discipline—quantum systems engineering—that combines technical innovation with interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging quantum literacy across policymakers, industry leaders, and engineers.

Thales Alenia Space and Hispasat have begun developing QKD-GEO, the world’s first quantum key distribution system from geostationary orbit, funded by Spain’s Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.The project aims to establish secure communications using quantum technology to safeguard critical infrastructure, government, and corporate data, while paving the way for a future quantum internet.Scheduled for completion within 24 months, QKD-GEO includes the development of a quantum payload, ground segment, and field testing between La Palma and Tenerife, involving a consortium of Spanish and European experts.

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.