The kick-off meeting for the SQuIRRL project (Secure Quantum Infrastructure for Road, Rail and Flight) took place at Quantum Optics in Jena at the beginning of December 2024. This laid the foundation for a promising collaboration between the project partners involved. For the ILS, SQuIRRL aims to ensure long-term, verifiable safety (in terms of security) in air traffic through the development and integration of quantum key distribution systems (QKD). The project is in line with the broader policy objectives of technological progress, infrastructure security and environmental sustainability.
The project partners involved cover the following main areas of work:
- Hasso Plattner Institute Potsdam: Rail transportation
- Technical University of Berlin: Safety at railroad stations
- Ingolstadt University of Technology: Automotive
- Chemnitz University of Technology: Automotive
- Institute of Aircraft Systems: Aircraft
- Quantum Optics Jena: Technology platform for QKD
- XFAB in cooperation with Fraunhofer: Semiconductor hardware
- Fraunhofer IIS: Technology platform for time markers
The meeting ended with a guided tour through the state-of-the-art facilities of Quantum Optics Jena.
We look forward to a productive collaboration and to developing innovative solutions for real-world applications.
