Catenaa, Sunday, December 14, 2025-IonQ Inc. announced the deployment of Slovakia’s first national quantum communication network, marking a major step in Europe’s move toward quantum-secure government infrastructure.
The Slovak Quantum Communication Infrastructure (skQCI) combines quantum key distribution (QKD) with post-quantum cryptography (PQC), connecting key government sites including the Office of the President, National Security Authority facilities, and the Quantum Pavilion in Bratislava.
The network was developed in collaboration with the Institute of Physics at the Slovak Academy of Sciences and integrates four strategic locations to ensure secure data transmission for government operations.
IonQ’s subsidiary, ID Quantique, which pioneered QKD technology in 2001, led the deployment.
The skQCI aligns with the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) initiative, designed to create a continent-wide quantum-secure network protecting against threats to classical encryption from future quantum computing capabilities.
IonQ, founded in 2015 and headquartered in College Park, Maryland, initially focused on trapped-ion quantum computers before expanding into quantum networking through the 2021 acquisition of ID Quantique.
The Slovak project builds on IonQ’s prior Geneva Quantum Network and supports its broader EMEA expansion, including a new Oxford office.
Niccolo de Masi, IonQ chairman and CEO, described the deployment as a strategic milestone in strengthening EU digital sovereignty.
Mario Ziman, director of the Institute of Physics, said the network positions Slovakia at the forefront of quantum communication in Europe. IonQ shares rose 1.35% to $53.40 in premarket trading following the announcement.
