The year 2025 holds a special significance for the global research community as it is celebrated as the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). This commemoration marks the centenary of the development of quantum mechanics, something that has profoundly influenced our understanding of the universe and the very fabric of reality. In alignment with this celebration, GÉANT is excited to announce the launch of the Special Interest Group on Quantum Technology (SIG-Quantum).
SIG-Quantum aims to provide an open forum for the diverse community engaged in quantum technologies, including quantum networking, computing, sensing, cryptography, and communication across Research and Education Networks (RENs). This forum will serve as a hub for the exchange of experiences, ideas, and knowledge on the development, deployment, testing, and standardisation of quantum solutions. Through this collaborative effort, SIG-Quantum aims to design a coherent quantum strategy across GÉANT and lead the evaluation and testing of suitable quantum technologies in R&E networks.
Quantum technology has been rapidly gaining momentum within the European Union and globally. The Quantum initiative “EuroQCI” exemplifies this growth, focusing on the maturation of new quantum technologies and their terrestrial and space communication use. The EU aims to ensure ultra-secure, quantum-encrypted, communication between institutions and critical infrastructures across the Union.
Since the beginning of the first quantum revolution in the early twentieth century, quantum mechanics has been the driving force behind many modern technologies, with scientific research directly influencing our everyday lives. Innovations such as lasers, microchips, satellite-based positioning, and medical imaging are direct descendants of this “quantum” era. Today, we are witnessing a second quantum revolution, characterised by a dramatic surge in satellite-based services, EU space programmes and the growth of quantum communication technologies.
Critical infrastructures, sensitive communications and data currently face an array of cyber-attacks and security threats. Moreover, advances in mathematical algorithms, supercomputing, and the rise of quantum computing pose significant challenges to conventional encryption systems. To counter these threats, new cryptographic techniques, rooted in the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics are emerging as promising safeguards for our digital infrastructures.
The SIG-Quantum forum will unite National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), research institutes, vendors and GÉANT. The forum will be instrumental in making recommendations on the technology landscape, its funding, and providing advisory insights on the exploration, testing, and operation of quantum technologies within GÉANT’s network and service portfolio.
The forum will gather representatives from NRENs and relevant quantum research institutes who are engaged in designing, implementing, and advising on quantum technologies within the GÉANT ecosystem.
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For more information about SIG-Quantum and how to get involved, visit: https://wiki.geant.org/display/SIGQ/SIG-Quantum+Homepage
