ICFO hosts the closing event of the Complementary Plan for Quantum Communications

On November 13^th,  2025, ICFO hosted the closing event of the Complementary Plan for Quantum Communications, bringing together more than 160 representatives from the Government of Spain, as well as ministers and general directors from the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Madrid, Castile and León, Valencia, Galicia, and the Basque Country, together with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and researchers and scientific experts from all the institutes participating in the program.

The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and six autonomous communities concluded the Complementary Plan for Quantum Communications, bringing together more than 160 representatives from the Government of Spain, ministers and general directors, and various representatives from the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Madrid, Castile and León, Valencia, Galicia, and the Basque Country, as well as the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The event also gathered researchers from all institutes involved in the program.

The event was chaired by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, accompanied by the Minister of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, Núria Montserrat. The event served to present the main results and achievements obtained over the four years of the project, which had a budget of approximately 70 million euros.

Scientific Results

Coordinated by Valerio Pruneri, ICFO Prof. at ICFO and Vicent Martin, Prof. of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), the Complementary Plan for Quantum Communications has been an initiative promoted by the Government of Spain in collaboration with the six autonomous communities, aimed at strengthening cybersecurity and fostering the development of quantum technologies applied to communication security and the quantum internet.

The plan was structured into seven lines of action: Quantum communications (EuroQCI infrastructure), Hardware and software for quantum communications, Hardware and software for quantum processing, Human resources and training, Industrial ecosystem and Dissemination.

Through these lines of action, the more than 40 participating entities achieved significant milestones across all areas. In particular, given the vulnerability of traditional encryption systems, the program promoted the development and implementation of technologies for secure encryption and information transmission using quantum key distribution (QKD), combining classical and quantum infrastructures to reinforce security. Notably, this includes the deployment and launch of Spain’s largest quantum communication network, with nearly 1,000 km of accumulated length. Additionally, as a result of the plan, it will be possible to deploy a pioneering optical ground station for satellite-based quantum communications in the future.

At the same time, in the area of quantum processing, the project has promoted the development of protocols, simulators, and software for quantum key control (QKD); error correction and algorithms; and the demonstration of various technologies across different platforms for the generation of specific qubits and their use in quantum information processing.

Finally, a line of action was dedicated to the development, implementation, and integration of quantum repeaters for the construction of the future quantum internet—a network that will connect quantum computers, sensors, and devices with unprecedented precision and security.

More than 40 entities across Spain participated in the plan, over 300 people were hired, and more than 530 studies were published in scientific journals presenting the project’s scientific results. The project also generated 14 patents, 12 intellectual property registrations, and the consolidation of more than 20 industrial collaborations with national companies such as Telefónica, Nestlé, INDRA, Cellnex, SENER, Hispasat, and GMW Aerospace.

In the context of this Complementary Plan, 9 spin-off companies were created, consolidated and supported: Qoolnet, LuxQuanta, Quside, Q-Dynamics, InspirationQ, G2-Zero, HYBPIC, IANTUM-TECH, and Nanological, demonstrating the potential of the Spanish industrial sector in quantum communications and processing.

These results reflect intense scientific and technological activity and highlight the collaborative capacity of participating research centers, universities, and industry partners.

The Complementary Plan has been strategically aligned with the main European strategies in the field of quantum technologies, such as the Quantum Flagship and the European Quantum Communications Infrastructure (EuroQCI), contributing to consolidating European scientific and technological leadership. It has also created a national ecosystem for the future European Quantum Technologies Act (Quantum Act), promoted by the European Commission and Member States such as Spain.

Eight Complementary Plans

The Government approved the first four Complementary Plans in 2021, dedicated to renewable energy and hydrogen, marine sciences, quantum communication, and biotechnology applied to health; and in 2022, those for agri-food, astrophysics and high-energy physics, advanced materials, and biodiversity.

In total, these eight Complementary Plans have mobilized 466 million euros, of which the MICIU has financed 299.2 million euros (64.2% of the total budget) and the autonomous communities the remaining 35.8%, with 166.9 million euros.

The goal was to strengthen strategic lines of action and promote territorial cohesion. These plans have facilitated collaborations and aligned the efforts of the central government, autonomous communities, and European funds to address key challenges in Spain, meeting the EU criteria for implementing transformative measures for the economy within the Recovery Plan.