Today, IonQ announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with each of SK Telecom and ID Quantique (IDQ), a global leader in quantum safe networking and sensing headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland with offices in Seoul (South Korea), Vienna (Austria), and Boston (USA), to acquire a controlling stake in IDQ. Alongside the transaction, IonQ expects to enter into a strategic partnership focused on quantum with SK Telecom, the largest wireless telecommunications operator in South Korea.

ESA, together with a Starion-led industrial consortium, has marked a significant milestone in quantum communications technology with the successful implementation of a terrestrial quantum key distribution (QKD) link. The link took place between its European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC) in Belgium and a data centre in Luxembourg. The development comes as part of the International Use Cases for Operational QKD Applications and Services (INT-UQKD) project, which exemplifies ESA's commitment to bridging the gap between advanced space technology and practical business applications.

SpeQtral, SafeQuantum, Antaris and QTD Systems announce the establishment of a satellite Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) receiver node at the historic carrier hotel data center building, 60 Hudson Street in New York City. This strategic initiative aims to enable the secure establishment of quantum keys between Singapore, the United States and Europe, enabling quantum-safe communications that will safeguard global financial transactions.

Researchers from Jena, Würzburg and Potsdam have successfully developed a design for the smallest system of its kind so far to take highly secure quantum communication to space: Led by Fraunhofer IOF, the project CubEniK developed an ultracompact payload for a satellite the size of a shoe box, a so called “CubeSat”. The goal of the mini satellite is to transmit a secure quantum key over a distance of 300 kilometers between two ground stations in Jena and Munich.

SES and SpeQtral signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an interoperable Optical Ground Station (OGS) to establish long- distance satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) between Asia and Europe.

A research team from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), in collaboration with several research institutions in China and South Africa, has developed the world’s first quantum microsatellite and demonstrated real-time quantum key distribution (QKD) between the satellite and multiple compact, mobile ground stations.

SEALSQ Corp ("SEALSQ" or "Company"), a company that focuses on developing and selling Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software products, today announced that in collaboration with WISeSat is advancing the future of ultra-secure, real-time connectivity for IoT devices across industries worldwide—directly from space. The next confirmed launch is set for June 2025 with SpaceX, deploying next-generation WISeSat.space satellites equipped with post-quantum-ready security to safeguard against emerging cyber threats. Additional launches are scheduled for October and December 2025, reinforcing a robust and resilient satellite network.

Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat), a satellite demonstrating secure ground-to-space quantum communication, will soon orbit the earth. And the researchers at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) that are making that happen, along with collaborators at the University of Calgary and the Institut national d'optique (INO), have published a white paper outlining a future mission opportunity to establish a step towards a Canada wide quantum internet.

WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”), a leading global cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT company, today announces the groundbreaking integration of its SEALCOIN with the WISeSAT satellite platform. This innovative development allows secure, decentralized cryptocurrency transactions to be processed via low-orbit satellites, marking a significant leap in global financial inclusion and blockchain infrastructure. Of note, both entities are subsidiaries of WISeKey: SEALCOIN AG focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform, while WISeSat AG focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF is presenting a new photon source at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco (January 28 to 30, 2025) that has been specially developed for the "Prepare-and-Measure" protocol of quantum communication. The components of the source are optimized for use in space.