Digital communication underpins modern society, from government and healthcare to finance and national security. Emerging quantum technologies are set to transform how we communicate and process information. While large-scale quantum computers are likely to make today’s cryptographic mechanisms vulnerable, quantum physics will also enable new ways to communicate securely and build advanced digital applications. Preparing for this transition is both a technological necessity and a strategic opportunity.
The Centre for Quantum Communication Networks and Applications (QCNA) is Norway’s first dedicated research hub for quantum communications. Its mission is to build national knowledge, expertise and practical capability in designing, implementing and evaluating future quantum communication networks, protocols and applications. A central goal is to deliver tangible outcomes for researchers, industry and public stakeholders.
QCNA will develop Norway’s first experimental quantum communication test bed, enabling testing of new secure communication methods and network technologies. The Centre will advance the scientific foundations needed to make quantum technologies scalable and useful in real-world networks, going beyond today’s solutions to explore new cryptographic protocols and applications enabled by quantum effects. It will also design and evaluate future hybrid networks, where classical and quantum technologies work together.
Education and capacity building are core priorities. QCNA will train students and early-career researchers, support new academic programmes and deliver targeted upskilling for engineers and professionals across Norway. This will help ensure that Norway’s workforce is ready for the quantum era.
By combining strong Norwegian expertise with international collaboration, QCNA will strengthen national security, innovation and competitiveness, and position Norway as an active contributor to European and global quantum communication initiatives.
The QCNA – Centre for Quantum Communication Networks and Applications will establish Norway’s first dedicated research hub for quantum communications, addressing urgent challenges and opportunities of the quantum era. Large-scale quantum computers threaten to break today’s cryptographic foundations, while quantum phenomena enable entirely new protocols, applications and network functionalities. QCNA will position Norway to contribute meaningfully to global initiatives such as EuroQCI and the Quantum Internet Alliance, ensuring national engagement in shaping emerging standards and infrastructures.
Building on Norway’s strong expertise in applied mathematics, information theory, cryptography and communication systems, the Centre will fill critical gaps by developing the country’s first quantum communication test bed, creating a coordinated research, training and innovation platform. The Centre will advance the state-of-the-art in quantum cryptographic primitives, protocols and applications, while also contributing to architectures for future hybrid classical–quantum networks. Its research will integrate complementary expertise spanning networking theory, quantum information science, distributed computing, cryptography and quantum error correction.
Capacity building is central: QCNA will educate students and early-career researchers, support academic programme development, and deliver tailored upskilling training for engineers and industry professionals. This will prepare Norway’s workforce to be quantum-ready, addressing the growing international talent gap.
With its collaborative structure, ambitious scope and national test bed, the QCNA Centre will significantly strengthen Norway’s scientific capabilities, workforce readiness and international role in the emerging field of quantum communications.
