i2CAT joins the Quixote Red Cervera to promote a dual-use and security technology ecosystem

The i2CAT research centre has joined Quixote, the “Red de Excelencia Cervera for Research in Quantum Technologies for Experimental Infrastructure Oriented towards Technological Sovereignty in Strategic Environments.” The research project aims to consolidate an ecosystem of scientific-technological excellence in the field of dual-use and security technologies and contribute to technological autonomy and the resilience of strategic capabilities in Europe.

The network is coordinated by Itecam (Centro Tecnológico Industrial de Castilla-La Mancha) and is composed of, alongside i2CAT, the Fundación Centro Tecnolóxico de Telecomunicacións de Galicia (GRADIANT), the Fundación i+D Software Libre (FIDESOL), and LORTEK. These are leading technological centres that combine expertise in quantum physics, systems engineering, secure communications, and dual-use technologies. Representatives from the five entities met last week in Toledo for the project’s first in-person meeting, where they shared research lines and use cases to be launched in the field of high-security quantum networks, as well as quantum communication architectures. They also discussed how to position the project in international research, cooperation, and standardization networks for quantum technologies.

Within the framework of the project, i2CAT will play an important role in the development of quantum-secure communication networks that integrate Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), hybrid post-quantum cryptography, and new advances in quantum security protocols and mechanisms. This aims to protect command communications and provide greater control against current and future cyber threats.

Quixote is funded by the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI) under the Cervera Centers of Excellence call. It aligns with the Technology and Innovation Strategy for Defense (ETID 2020), the National Plan for Quantum Technologies, as well as European initiatives such as the Quantum Flagship and the European Defence Fund (EDF). Its implementation contributes to achieving the EU’s open strategic autonomy objectives, increasing interoperability and technological sovereignty in the field of dual-use technologies and security.