HellasQCI participated in the PETRUS Workshop in Brussels, on 10-11 December 2025. Dr. Ilias Papastamatiou, Senior Project Manager at GRNET and HellasQCI Project Coordinator presented SEEWQCI, the new EuroQCI project that begins in January 2026.

SEEWQCI, coordinated by GRNET, brings together partners from Greece, the Netherlands, Cyprus, and Bulgaria, forming one of the most ambitious quantum communication corridors in Europe. The project connects South-East Europe with Western Europe by integrating terrestrial and space-based quantum-secure links.

Key elements of the project include a terrestrial cross-border Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) link between Greece and Bulgaria, as well as five Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) across Greece, Cyprus, and the Netherlands, enabling satellite QKD connectivity. SEEWQCI marks a major step towards a pan-European quantum-secure network and contributes to reinforcing Europe’s digital sovereignty.

The PETRUS Event marked a significant milestone in Europe’s quantum communication journey. Over two days, representatives from the European Commission, European Space Agency – ESA, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), DG CONNECT, HaDEA, National QCI coordinators, and EuroQCI CEF coordinators, national ministries, metrology institutes, research organisations, and industry experts reviewed the current state of EuroQCI projects, exchanged lessons learned, and discussed priorities for future phases.

As a Coordination and Support Action under the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), PETRUS has advanced a secure and harmonised European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) by aligning national and industrial QCI projects, supporting EU-27-sourced QKD components, and providing guidance on network architectures, interoperability, and operational aspects.