First quantum- safe link between Singapore and Europe to be developed by SpeQtral and RHEA Group.
Under the strategic partnership, RHEA System Luxembourg will leverage SpeQtral’s quantum satellite that will be launched in 2024 to build a quantum safe link between Singapore and Europe.
SINGAPORE, 16 November 2022 – As part of its strategy to build a global quantum-safe network, SpeQtral, a Singapore-based company focused on quantum communications, today announced a strategic partnership with RHEA System Luxembourg (“RHEA”), a Luxembourg-based cybersecurity infrastructure and engineering company, to establish one of the first satellite-based quantum-safe links between Singapore and Europe.
Under the agreement, RHEA will leverage SpeQtral’s upcoming satellite, SpeQtral-1, which will be launched in 2024 to demonstrate intercontinental Quantum Key Distribution (“QKD”) and to exchange encryption keys between Singapore and the European Space Agency’s (“ESA”) member states. This could potentially allow any quantum-safe metropolitan network in Singapore to connect with operational European networks and quantum communication infrastructure in Luxembourg, Canada, and Belgium.
This latest partnership is born out of RHEA’s broader three-year programme INT-UQKD, designed to develop and demonstrate international use cases for QKD in operational IT environments. Supported by ESA’s ARTES programme and Singapore’s Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn), this partnership programme further augments SpeQtral’s capabilities to provide customised QKD technology to its customers on a global scale.
Beyond the immediate scope of this QKD project, the companies also signed a broader collaboration agreement to investigate the combination of SpeQtral’s quantum-safe cryptographic solutions with RHEA’s cybersecurity solution suite and service offerings, to be jointly marketed to prospective end users in Europe and APAC.
“SpeQtral is working with partners around the world to provide customised QKD solutions for organisations that require unique and secure data connectivity configurations to counter rising quantum threats. Our partnership with RHEA strengthens our international strategy and helps us to take Singapore’s quantum-safe network to an international level. We look forward to building and deploying quantum-safe communication links and cybersecurity solutions with RHEA to serve both the APAC and European markets.”
Lum Chune Yang, CEO, SpeQtral, said
“We are excited to deepen our partnership with SpeQtral to develop an operational quantum safe link between Singapore and Europe and build a joint cybersecurity portfolio. Leveraging both space and ground segment developments, the proposed quantum secure link will be the first between Singapore and Europe and will provide users of critical infrastructures with a secure platform and operational safety. This will support international financial services and data centres in enhancing the security of their communications across borders.”
Pascal Rogiest, Chief Strategy Officer & Cybersecurity Division Managing Director, RHEA Group, added
“We are very excited to see this strategic agreement take shape following the kick-off of INT-UQKD earlier this year. INT-UQKD is an excellent materialisation of the Memorandum of Intent that ESA signed with OSTIn last year, for joint cooperation. The programme is set to play a crucial contribution to the development of our QKD capabilities and as part of that, the partnership between RHEA and SpeQtral is an important step toward more secure international exchanges for Europe and Asia-Pacific, and ultimately a safer society. Cooperating with industry leaders such as SpeQtral and international players such as OSTIn is essential to develop QKD solutions that respond to real-life requirements and to go to market with viable business proposals.”
Elodie Viau, Director, Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, ESA, said
“This collaboration between SpeQtral and RHEA is testament to the deep technical capabilities of Singapore’s space start-ups, as well as our expertise in quantum technologies. This capability has been built up through investments in quantum research over the past two decades with scalable commercial applications in mind. OSTIn looks forward to more partnerships with ESA to further explore the potential of space-based technologies.”
David Tan, Executive Director, OSTIn, said
SpeQtral is a pioneer in quantum communications, with a vision to build and deploy global quantum networks. SpeQtral develops quantum-secure products and services designed to protect sovereign and enterprise telecommunication networks against classical, as well as future quantum based cyber-attacks.
RHEA Group is a privately-owned professional engineering and solutions company, providing bespoke engineering solutions, system development and security services for space, military, government and other critical infrastructures.