Creotech Instruments, a Polish space mission integrator listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, has joined an international consortium led by NASK to launch a project aimed at building a cross-border quantum link based on a mobile ground station. The project will enable communication with the Eagle-1 satellite, connecting Poland with other countries participating in the European Commission’s EuroQCI programme. The PIONIER-Q-SAT project is being carried out on behalf of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The work will begin on 1 January 2026 and is scheduled to continue until mid-2029. The total value of the project exceeds EUR 9.9 million, with the value of work commissioned to Creotech Instruments amounting to approximately EUR 0.4 million.

The PIONIER-Q-SAT project is a breakthrough step in the development of quantum technologies in Poland and a key element of the European Union’s flagship programme for their deployment. As part of the consortium, we will develop a mobile QKD ground station enabling connectivity with Eagle-1, the first European QKD satellite, and ultimately with other satellites using quantum key distribution protocols. This will support secure satellite-based distribution of cryptographic keys between Poland and other countries, enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure.

This is not only an investment in technological infrastructure, but also in Europe’s digital security and in the development of science, education and the quantum industry. Through international cooperation and the use of European components, we will create a solution that strengthens the digital sovereignty and independence of our region while opening new opportunities for innovation and digital transformation – says Anna Kamińska, PhD, Head of the Quantum Systems Division at Creotech Instruments S.A. and President of the Management Board of Creotech Quantum S.A.

The goal of the PIONIER-Q-SAT project is to create a resilient cross-border quantum link between Poland’s national Quantum Communication Infrastructure (QCI) and other terrestrial and satellite QCI networks in Europe, with a particular focus on Lithuania. The project aims to connect the PIONIER-Q network with the space segment of EuroQCI.

The development of a mobile optical QKD ground station marks a breakthrough for Poland’s digital infrastructure. As the consortium leader, we are proud to co-create a project that significantly strengthens European cooperation in the field of quantum technologies – says Eng. Radosław Nielek, PhD, CEO of NASK. PIONIER-Q-SAT combines the top competences of Polish research and industrial teams with an ambitious vision for the development of EuroQCI. It will enable the implementation of advanced quantum-security services and open new opportunities for scientific and industrial initiatives. The project not only enhances the resilience of our critical infrastructure but also confirms that Polish institutions and companies are ready to help shape the future of Europe’s digital sovereignty.

PIONIER-Q is an advanced Polish research network that became fully operational in the third quarter of 2024 and is designed to secure communications using quantum keys. In 2022, the first 350-kilometre quantum link between the main PSNC centre in Poznań and Warsaw was built as part of the NLPQT project, enabling the development of new quantum telecommunications services using existing fiber-optic infrastructure.

Between 2023 and 2024, the PIONIER-Q network was expanded to a total length of 1,770 km, providing quantum-secured transmission between Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań and Wrocław. Today, PIONIER-Q is the longest QKD network in Europe.

The next step is to connect PIONIER-Q with neighbouring countries via cross-border fiber-optic links and to invest in a mobile optical ground station (OGS), as Poland currently lacks infrastructure enabling connectivity with a QKD satellite. The OGS will enable cross-border satellite QCI connections with other EU Member States – not only neighbouring countries, but across the entire European Union. The station will enable connectivity with the Eagle-1 satellite, increasing the resilience of EuroQCI infrastructure by allowing cryptographic keys to be exchanged via satellite between European optical ground stations.

Key project objectives include:

the development of a mobile optical ground station (OGS) enabling satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD),
the creation of interoperable components supporting future EuroQCI satellite missions, including those under ESA’s SAGA programme,
the implementation of a quantum-secured communication channel between the existing EuroQCI network and NASK-CSIRT, which forms part of the European network of Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRT).

As part of the project, the following will be developed: a mobile QKD optical ground station enabling connectivity with Eagle-1, integration with the PIONIER-Q network and four data centres in and around Warsaw, as well as the implementation of a quantum-secured communication service between EuroQCI and NASK-CSIRT.

All infrastructure components will be sourced from European suppliers. Upon project completion, the infrastructure, including the QKD receiver developed by WAT and Creotech Instruments, which is essential for further system operation and maintenance, will remain at the disposal of NASK and PSNC.

One of the key components of the ground station will be a single-photon detector developed by Creotech, enabling the demonstration and validation of the commercial potential of the company’s target product.

In addition to Creotech Instruments S.A., the project consortium includes: NASK (the consortium leader), the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center affiliated with the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PSNC), the Military University of Technology (WAT), and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania.

Thanks to the involvement of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, national co-financing for the Polish partners has been secured.

Following the completion of the ongoing spin-off process at Creotech Instruments S.A. and the receipt of all required approvals, the project will be implemented by Creotech Quantum S.A.

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