September 3, 2024 -- Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (Toshiba), the Toshiba Group company of digital and quantum technology businesses, alongside its strategic partner SpeQtral, a leading quantum communications technology company, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ST Engineering, a global technology, defence and engineering group, to formalize their strategic alliance and strengthen their go-to-market strategy for quantum-secure communications solutions in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Under this MOU, the three parties will collaborate on various strategic initiatives to advance quantum security solutions in key markets. This partnership encompasses joint efforts in market and business development, creating tailored product and solution offerings, and pursuing government sector opportunities. Specifically, the parties will work together to develop and offer Quantum Secure Network (QSN) solutions customized for critical sectors such as government/defense, financial services institutions (FSI), healthcare, and critical infrastructure.

These solutions include quantum secure communication with hybrid Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) technologies, quantum secure data storage, cloud services, and multiparty computation. Additionally, the parties will join forces in proposal development and project bidding, leveraging their combined expertise and resources to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the quantum security landscape.

Since 2021, Toshiba and SpeQtral have been in a strategic partnership, combining Toshiba's globally leading fiber-based QKD solutions with SpeQtral's pioneering satellite-based QKD missions. This collaboration provides essential technological building blocks for enabling global quantum-secure communication networks. The partnership has achieved significant milestones, such as demonstrating quantum-secure communication use cases in Singapore and establishing Southeast Asia’s first Quantum Networks EXperience Centre (QNEX) *1. This strategic partnership demonstrates their dedication to pioneering quantum technology, marking a new era in global data security and advanced communications.

This initiative will now be significantly enhanced by ST Engineering's extensive expertise in the cybersecurity domain and their proven track record in deploying secure communication networks.

“As quantum computing advances, the risk to current encryption methods grows. Our focus is on developing quantum-secure solutions to protect sensitive data and infrastructures, enabling businesses to thrive. By leveraging our encryption and operational technology cyber expertise along Toshiba and SpeQtral’s capabilities, we aim to enhance digital resilience against current and future cyber threats, ensuring a safer cyberspace for all,” stated Dr. Lee Shiang Long, Group Chief Technology and Digital Officer of ST Engineering.

Hiroshi Tsukino, Corporate Officer and Corporate Vice President of Toshiba Corporation, and Vice President of ICT Solutions Division at Toshiba Digital Solutions, said, “This milestone marks a significant advancement in our partnership with ST Engineering, initiated in 2022*2. Our collaboration is pivotal in fostering a robust quantum-secure communications ecosystem across Singapore and Southeast Asia, catalysing the expansion of the quantum-secure communications market. The synergy between our organizations, including the expertise of SpeQtral, positions us at the forefront of innovation in this critical field. We are confident that our combined efforts will establish new industry standards in quantum-safe communications, ensuring a more secure digital future for businesses and governments alike.”

Lum Chune Yang, Co-founder and CEO of SpeQtral, said “We are excited to formalise our partnership with ST Engineering, a trusted and established global technology and engineering leader. This synergistic partnership builds upon the longstanding and valuable collaboration with Toshiba, bringing together the best-in-class technologies and a shared commitment to quality assurance and customer-centric solutioning. We look forward to forging ahead as a new alliance, to safeguard Southeast Asia’s digital future with leading edge quantum-safe solutions.”