Luxembourg and Belgium to strengthen cooperation on secure Quantum communication

The Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister for Media and Connectivity of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Elisabeth Margue, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Enterprises, Civil Service, Telecommunication and Post of the Kingdom of Belgium, Petra de Sutter; the Secretary of State for Digitization, Administrative Simplification, Privacy Protection and Building Regulation of the Kingdom of Belgium, Mathieu Michel and the Secretary of State for Recovery, Strategic Investments & Science Policy of the Kingdom of Belgium, Thomas Dermine, assembled in Brussels on the margins of the Telecommunications, Transport and Energy Council. At this occasion, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a terrestrial cross-border Quantum connection within the framework of the national initiatives LuxQCI and BeQCI, both part of the EuroQCI initiative.

"This cross-border connection will ensure future secure connectivity between our countries. The agreement is a symbol of our excellent bilateral relationship, and a recognition of the quantum expertise in our respective countries," stated Elisabeth Margue.

Petra de Sutter underlined: "We think in terms of opportunities. Quantum connectivity and technology enable data to travel from a to b faster than light and complex problems to be immediately tackled in the fields of pharmaceuticals, energy, healthcare and so on. Every advantage has a cost. Quantum technology could seriously shake up cybersecurity, precisely because it is so fast. We are joining forces with Luxembourg thanks to a cooperation and together we are securing Internet traffic by using the technology of the future. We are one step ahead of the future thanks to this cooperation."

Mathieu Michel: "As we sign this Memorandum of Understanding, we mark a significant milestone in our journey towards a secure and advanced digital future. Establishing a terrestrial cross-border quantum connection between Belgium and Luxembourg enhances our technological capabilities and ensures data protection. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and building robust infrastructure for the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure initiative. By joining forces, we reinforce our friendly relations and pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in quantum technology. I am confident this partnership will foster scientific and economic growth for both nations, positively impacting our digital landscape. Together, we are pushing the boundaries of possibility and leading Europe into a new era of digital sovereignty."

Thomas Dermine is pleased with this new MoU, which shows that when two small countries join forces, they can achieve great things together.

"This is an excellent opportunity to develop our collaboration and build efficient quantum infrastructure in Europe. This domain has a significant link to our space and cybersecurity policy. This agreement also constitutes a significant step forward for the ESA Center in Redu (ESEC) and will contribute to turning it into a cyber and quantum hub in Belgium."

This MoU marks the start of a close cooperation between the two countries in the development of this strategic future technology. A next step will be the planning of the technical implementation of the agreement.

Press release by the Department of Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy