European UnionEuropean, Certifiable, Affordable, User-oriented, Secure, Integration-able, Scalable quantum key distribution solutions
IN PROGRESSBuilding Europe’s Quantum-Safe Future – Today’s encryption is increasingly vulnerable to future quantum computers, creating a strategic risk for governments, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and critical infrastructure. eCAUSIS meets this challenge by industrializing interoperable, certifiable, and scalable QKD modules paired with cryptographic key management software, delivering quantum-safe communication across Europe’s optical fiber networks.
Every day, we rely on encryption — often without even realizing it. From government communications and financial transactions to medical records and everyday online messaging, digital security depends on cryptographic keys shared between trusted parties.
Today’s encryption is built on computational complexity — the belief that breaking it would take an impractically long time. But that belief has an expiration date. Large-scale quantum computers will be capable of breaking widely used cryptographic schemes. Even “post-quantum” algorithms still rely on secure key exchange.
At the same time, adversaries are already pursuing a “store now, decrypt later” strategy — harvesting encrypted data today to unlock it tomorrow.
For governments, defence agencies, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and critical infrastructure operators, this is not a future concern. It is a present strategic vulnerability.
Europe needs quantum-safe solutions — and it needs them now.
The technology works. However, today’s QKD systems are still too costly, too complex to integrate, and not sufficiently standardized or certifiable for broad deployment. eCAUSIS bridges that gap.
The project aims to design, develop, and industrialize key components for next-generation QKD systems — making them ready for broad, secure deployment across Europe.
At its core, eCAUSIS focuses on:
• An interoperable DV-QKD (Discrete Variable QKD) module
• A cryptographic Key Management System (KMS)
• Cost-efficient, repeatable industrial manufacturing
• Certification and standardization readiness
• A resilient European supply chain
This is about more than a lab prototype — it’s a resilient ecosystem with an advanced QKD module and cryptographic key management software.
The system will distribute quantum-secure cryptographic keys over existing optical fiber networks and is planned to be commercially available in 2026.
Creotech Quantum S.A. (lead), AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GMBH, Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut
7 000 000 euro
~€4.2 M
Over 3 years
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
1. Designed for Certification
The system is being developed with Common Criteria evaluation in mind, in close collaboration with ETSI, to ensure compatibility with network components, encryptors, and management systems. This is deployable security — not just theoretical security.
2. Affordable and Scalable
One of the biggest barriers to QKD adoption is cost. eCAUSIS addresses this through:
• Reduced optical footprint
• High automation of production processes
• Industrial-grade electronics and integrated optoelectronics
• Serial manufacturing at scale
Objective: move QKD from niche deployments to widespread infrastructure.
3. Ease of Integration
The solution is designed for seamless integration into existing terrestrial optical fiber networks, connecting headquarters, branches, data centers, and remote facilities. Its user-oriented design ensures simplified deployment and compatibility with other network components, including management systems, encryptors, and more.
4. A Sovereign European Supply Chain
eCAUSIS strengthens European technological independence by:
• Using optics from European suppliers
• Establishing EU-based manufacturing capabilities
• Building a resilient, sovereign supply chain
This project leverages over 20 years of European QKD expertise and transforms it into industrial capability. That evolution begins with eCAUSIS.
