Federal Research Minister Bär activates cross-state Quantum Communication Test Network at Closing Event –
Quantum Communication is considered a key technology of the future. It opens up new possibilities for protecting digital communications against eavesdropping and manipulation – also in view of the threat posed by powerful Quantum Computers. In Germany, this technology is being advanced by numerous initiatives. One of them is the QuNET initiative, funded by the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) since January 2019. Its aim is to research and demonstrate the technological foundations for future Quantum Communication Networks. At its core is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which enables cryptographic keys to be securely distributed using quantum mechanical principles. In the future, it is intended to help secure particularly sensitive communications, for example in healthcare and public administration. The QuNET consortium comprises the Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Optik und Feinmechanik IOF, the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut für Nachrichtentechnik HHI, the Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL), the Institut für Kommunikation und Navigation des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), and the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
At the end of October 2026, numerous representatives from research, industry, and politics gathered at the Futurium in Berlin to attend QuNET’s final flagship experiment, which also marked the official conclusion of the seven-year initiative. The experiment focused on connecting three regional subnetworks in Bavaria, Thuringia and Berlin to form a joint Quantum Communication Network. To this end, representatives of the participating federal states first activated their respective subnetworks: in Erlangen, this was done by Bavarian Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder; in Erfurt, by Thuringian Minister-President Mario Voigt; and in Berlin, by Governing Mayor Kai Wegner. The three politicians joined the closing event remotely. Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär then gave the signal in Berlin to connect the regional subnetworks, forming a joint, cross-state Quantum Communication Test Network. The state of Saxony was also represented by Dr. Babett Gläser, Head of the Research Division at the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism. Through their respective state-level initiatives, the federal states had made a significant contribution to establishing regional Quantum Communication Research Infrastructures, on which the QuNET network spanning three federal states could build. The successful interconnection of the three subnetworks established a scalable, cross-domain test environment for Quantum Key Distribution, marking an important milestone on the path towards secure digital communication in the Quantum Era.
A subsequent live demonstration illustrated how the network works in a practical application scenario: fictitious pharmacy billing records from Jena University Hospital were transmitted securely using Quantum Cryptography via IT service provider DATEV to Bundesdruckerei. The data transmission itself took place over conventional fibre-optic networks. QuNET investigated not only individual quantum communication components and systems, but also their integration into real-world communication infrastructures that are already widely available. “The future of Quantum Communication will be shaped by a hybrid, quantum-secured infrastructure comprising fibre-optic networks, free-space networks, and satellite networks,” said Prof. Dr. Andreas Tünnermann, spokesperson for the QuNET initiative. “In this final QuNET key experiment, we are demonstrating precisely that: different systems and regional networks can work together. This brings us an important step closer to the goal of a practically deployable network infrastructure for highly secure communications.” Click here for further information about the closing demonstration.
Photo: Federal Minister Dorothee Bär, Prof. Dr. Andreas Tünnermann, and Prof. Dr. Christoph Marquardt connect the three subnetworks to form a cross-state Quantum Communication Network.
Source references: https://www.fraunhofer.de/de/presse/presseinformationen/2026/oktober-2026/abschluss-der-qunet-initiative.html; https://www.bmftr.bund.de/SharedDocs/Kurzmeldungen/DE/2026/10/281026-qunet.html