ID Quantique to Create Joint-Venture in China

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14.12.2016

ID Quantique SA, the world leader in quantum-safe crypto solutions based in Geneva, announced a partnership with China Quantum Technologies to bring the company’s quantum encryption technology to the burgeoning Chinese market. The companies will create a joint venture, which will open the Chinese market to IDQ’s Quantum Random Number Generators and Quantum Key Distribution solutions.

IDQ’s technology will be adapted for the specific needs of the Chinese market, and notably will be focused on supplying Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems for the development of the extensive quantum communications backbone being built in the country.

China Quantum Technologies (QTEC) is instrumental in the building and operation of quantum communications networks around the country, including the Shanghai-Hangzhou trunk network which was completed in September 2016. The size of China’s market offers a scale of operations that will allow IDQ to complete the industrialization of its QKD portfolio and to reduce the cost of QKD products worldwide.

IDQ will provide its Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs) and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology to customers in China via the joint venture, while QTEC will develop localised applications based on these products. The partnership with QTEC speaks to the momentum of IDQ and the growing demand for quantum communication worldwide.

Traditional encryption is at a growing risk of being broken as hacking technology advances to process data more quickly and efficiently. The advent of quantum computing will also render today’s encryption solutions vulnerable.  QKD, or quantum cryptography allows companies to encrypt their data in a way that is not vulnerable to attacks by quantum computers in the future.  In combination, QRNGs and QKD provide quantum-safe encryption that will protect data long into the future.

“Companies around the world are realizing how vitally important quantum-safe encryption will be in the next five to ten years,” said Grégoire Ribordy, CEO of IDQ. “Even if hackers haven’t found your vulnerability yet, if you have data that will still be relevant a few years down the road, you need to safeguard it appropriately. This partnership with QTEC allows IDQ to access a new and fast-growing market with state-of-the-art technology that will be relevant for decades to come.”

Increasing investment in quantum encryption
Interest in quantum encryption in China was piqued recently with the Chinese government’s launch of a quantum satellite in August 2016. The satellite, called Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS), is designed to establish quantum communications by transmitting keys from space. Investment in quantum encryption is ever-increasing, notably with China’s 2,000-km quantum communications network backbone project, and the EU pledging $1.13 billion USD to quantum development and research in April 2016.

“Working with IDQ allows QTEC to serve customers in China who are eager to ensure the safety of their data, today and well into the future,” said Mike Cao, CEO of QTEC.  “For companies with sensitive data, quantum-safe encryption technology has only become more necessary. Our partnership with IDQ allows us access to products which will help to keep the customers’ information safe.”

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