December 30, 2026 -- Poland is strengthening its position within the European quantum technology ecosystem. Strategic projects for the development of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) communications, together with the satellite-based PIONIER-Q-SAT project, will connect the national PIONIER-Q network with the infrastructures of other EU countries. Initiatives implemented under the EuroQCI programme will create an innovative and secure quantum communication network, linking Poland with Western Europe, the Baltic states, and Southern Europe.

International consortia in which PCSS acts as a coordinator or partner have signed five projects aimed at implementing cross-border terrestrial connections based on Quantum Key Distribution technology. The projects — QCI-AT-CZ-PL, QCI-SK-CZ-PL, QUANT-GPLCZ, QCI.dk — Cross Border, and PIONIER-Q-SAT — will connect Poland with other countries participating in the European Commission’s EuroQCI initiative to build a European quantum communication infrastructure.

The projects are implemented by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), with national co-funding ensured through the involvement of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Project work is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and is planned to continue until 2029. The national partners include Koszalin University of Technology, Opole University, Silesian University of Technology, the National Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK), the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM) at the University of Warsaw, and the Centre for Information Processing – National Research Institute (OPI PIB).

As part of the projects, direct terrestrial QKD links will be established to Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria. Thanks to the unique configuration of partners and infrastructure, a quantum communication infrastructure unprecedented on a European scale will be created in this region, forming a key element of the EuroQCI initiative. The projects will interconnect quantum communication infrastructures of Western Europe, the Baltic countries, and Southern Europe. The Polish partner community will actively contribute to the further development of EuroQCI and quantum technologies in Europe.

PCSS is also a partner in the PIONIER-Q-SAT project. Under this initiative, the first mobile ground station in Poland will be built, enabling communication with satellites using QKD technology to generate exceptionally secure encryption keys. This will connect Poland to the European quantum network and significantly strengthen the protection of communications between public institutions and critical infrastructure. PIONIER-Q-SAT combines the highest competencies of Polish research and industrial teams with an ambitious vision for the development of EuroQCI. It represents a key step toward advanced quantum security services and opens the way to new scientific and industrial initiatives. The project takes advantage of the experience and infrastructure of PIONIER-Q and represents its natural evolution toward integrating both terrestrial and satellite-based QKD technologies.

The total budget allocated to PCSS across all projects amounts to EUR 16 million, with the following breakdown:

• PIONIER-Q-SAT – EUR 850,000
• QCI-AT-CZ-PL – EUR 3.4 million
• QCI-SK-CZ-PL – EUR 4.6 million
• QCI.dk-CB – EUR 3.9 million
• Quant-GPlCz – EUR 3.4 million

The overall project budgets are EUR 4.9 million each for PIONIER-Q-SAT, QCI-AT-CZ-PL, QCI-SK-CZ-PL, and QCI.dk-CB, and EUR 8 million for Quant-GPlCz.

The foundation for these projects is the PIONIER and PIONIER-Q networks. PIONIER-Q is an advanced research network in Poland that reached full operational status in the third quarter of 2024 and is designed to secure communications using quantum keys. In 2022, as part of the NLPQT project, the first 350-kilometre quantum link was established between the main PCSS data centre in Poznań and Warsaw, enabling the development of new quantum telecommunications services using existing fibre-optic infrastructure. In 2023–2024, the PIONIER-Q network was expanded to 1,770 km, enabling quantum-secured transmission between Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań, and Wrocław.

PIONIER-Q is the longest QKD network in Europe. Project partners include all Polish metropolitan and research network centres: the Tricity Academic Computer Network (TASK), the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM) at the University of Warsaw, the National Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK), the Wrocław Centre for Networking and Supercomputing (WCSS), the Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET AGH in Kraków, and PCSS. Thanks to co-funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the PIONIER-Q project and network have enabled the development of advanced national infrastructure and QKD competencies through the implementation of multiple use-case scenarios on operational metropolitan and research network infrastructure. The PIONIER-Q project will conclude at the end of 2025, but the concepts and further development of the network within the PIONIER ecosystem will continue through cross-border connection projects.