Slovakia Launches Its First Quantum-Secured Communication Link – A Key Step Toward the Future Quantum Internet
Košice, 11 December 2025 – The first commercial quantum-secured communication link in Slovakia, connecting Košice and Prešov, was officially inaugurated today at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice. This marks a historic milestone in building the national quantum communication infrastructure and represents the first fully operational component of the Slovak network that forms part of the pan-European EuroQCI project.
The advent of quantum technologies may bring societal changes comparable to those we are currently experiencing with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. One of the most significant shifts in the area of security will be the potential ability of quantum computers to break the cryptographic systems used today to protect banks, government institutions, hospitals, and critical infrastructure. Although universal quantum computers do not yet exist, their arrival could trigger a substantial security shock for which preparation is essential. “The security of quantum communication is based on fundamental physical principles that make any – even hypothetical – method of eavesdropping or breaking communication impossible. In practice, this means that Slovakia is launching a technology whose principle cannot be broken by any computational power,” stated Assoc. Prof. Mgr. Mário Ziman, PhD., Director of the Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, during today’s press conference.
Slovakia’s quantum network is being developed within the national skQCI project, which is part of the European initiative EuroQCI (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure). Within this initiative, the European Commission is financing the construction of the backbone network of the future quantum internet, which is expected to connect EU member states by 2028. A broad platform of partners who have signed the Memorandum on Supporting the Development of Quantum Communication Infrastructure in Slovakia is also contributing to the effort. The signatories include universities, research institutions, public authorities, and technology partners. The Memorandum provides a framework for coordinated progress in the deployment of quantum technologies, the interconnection of public institutions via secure quantum links, and the sharing of know-how across sectors.
The infrastructure of the national quantum communication network of the skQCI project by stages.
Today’s opening of the first link between Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ) and the University of Prešov (PU) is a concrete result of this joint initiative. “Among other things, this quantum link provides an excellent opportunity for our faculty and university to enrich teaching with practical demonstrations and conduct a new type of research in the fields of quantum computing and cybersecurity. This new impetus has strengthened the faculty leadership’s intention to create a new study programme focused on quantum technologies,” said Prof. RNDr. Gabriel Semanišin, PhD., Vice-Dean for Development and Quality Management at the Faculty of Science of UPJŠ in Košice.
The Slovak consortium of the skQCI project, led by the Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, in close cooperation with the Slovak National Centre for Quantum Technologies – QUTE.sk, has been working on building this infrastructure for two years. In addition to connecting Košice and Prešov, further segments are being prepared, including cross-border links to Poland, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic. While the Košice–Prešov link is based on a commercial solution currently available on the market, Slovakia is not taking the path of solely purchasing existing commercial systems. The primary goal of the skQCI project is not merely to bring the technologies to Slovakia, but to develop expertise and know-how in quantum security and supporting quantum technologies such as single-photon detectors.
Before the ceremonial launch of the link between Košice and Prešov, attended by representatives of the Office of the President of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and both universities, in the morning high-school students were given a unique opportunity to witness a live demonstration of the quantum connection. During the demonstration, a group of students from the Secondary School of Electrical Engineering in Prešov connected with nearly 200 students present in the UPJŠ auditorium in Košice as part of the “Focus on Nobel Prizes” event, held annually by the Faculty of Science.
Node of the skQCI quantum communication infrastructure located at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice
The first public demonstration of quantum-secured communication using a commercial QKD solution within the skQCI project, connecting Košice and Prešov, observed by more than 200 high-school students in the UPJŠ Auditorium in Košice.
With this achievement, Slovakia joins the ranks of countries actively developing second-generation quantum technologies – those that will enable not only secure communication in the future but also the transmission of quantum information between quantum computers. The first quantum-secured link between Košice and Prešov is a fundamental building block of the quantum network, and its launch sends a clear message that Slovakia is prepared for the arrival of the quantum era in technology and industry.
Contact for media:
Mgr.art. Diana Cencer Garafová, ArtD.,
Slovak National Centre for Quantum Technologies – QUTE.sk
garafova@qute.sk
