This week, zerothird joined our partner NTS at Quantensprung, an event in Innsbruck dedicated to bringing quantum technologies closer to real-world IT applications. The half-day event gathered customers, researchers, and industry leaders to discuss how quantum technologies are moving from laboratories into operational infrastructure.
The program reflected the strong connection between academic research, industrial innovation, and applied infrastructure that characterizes the Austrian quantum ecosystem.
Austria’s Quantum Legacy
In his keynote, Gregor Weihs (University of Innsbruck) highlighted Austria’s long-standing contribution to quantum science. The country’s role dates back to Erwin Schrödinger, whose work laid the conceptual foundation for quantum entanglement — a phenomenon that today underpins technologies such as quantum communication.
Austria remains a global hub for quantum research, with Innsbruck, Vienna, and Linz forming key centers of excellence. The global International Year of Quantum Science and Technology in 2025 further emphasized the growing importance of the field.
Weihs also presented the recently deployed Optical Ground Station (OGS) on the Hafelekar mountain above Innsbruck, which enables experiments in quantum communication with satellites and long-distance optical links. A video of the station’s deployment illustrated the effort required to bring quantum experiments out of the laboratory and into real-world environments.
Building Quantum Computers in Austria
Thomas Monz, CEO of AQT – Alpine Quantum Technologies, provided an industry perspective on the development of ion-trap quantum computers.
While current systems still operate with fewer than one hundred logical qubits, Monz emphasized the importance of identifying practical applications today rather than waiting for future generations of hardware. AQT’s strategy reflects this pragmatic approach: the company develops both complete quantum computers and specialized components that can be integrated into other quantum computing systems.
Monz also highlighted a strategic challenge for Europe: ensuring that highly skilled quantum scientists find attractive career opportunities locally, preventing talent from moving abroad.
From Research to Infrastructure
In his talk, Rupert Ursin, CEO of zerothird, focused on the transition from decades of research in quantum communication to deployable infrastructure.
zerothird is currently working on entanglement-based quantum communication networks designed to secure critical infrastructure across Europe. A concrete example is the quantum communication link between Vienna and Frankfurt, which is being built to support secure communication for a major financial institution.
This marks an important shift: technologies that were once confined to research laboratories are now ready to be deployed as operational infrastructure.
Integrating Quantum Security into IT Environments
A key aspect of this transition is integration into existing IT and security environments. This is where NTS plays a central role.
In his presentation, Roland Abfalterer (NTS) explained how NTS contributes to the deployment of quantum-secure infrastructure by providing cybersecurity expertise, managed services, and security operations capabilities. Their role is to ensure that new quantum communication systems can be securely operated and integrated into existing enterprise environments.
Preparing Organizations for the Quantum Era
Looking ahead, Andreas Sauerwein-Schlosser (NTS) encouraged organizations to begin preparing for the quantum era by building a cryptographic inventory — a structured overview of where and how cryptography is used across IT systems.
Understanding existing cryptographic dependencies is widely considered a first practical step toward quantum-safe security strategies.
A Quantum Joke to Close the Event
At the end of the event, moderator Andreas Gröbel closed with a humorous comparison between two famous quotes:
Richard Feynman once said:“If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.”
Falco once said:“If you remember the 80s, you weren’t there.”
The remark captured the spirit of the event — a field that is both deeply complex and full of curiosity.
Visiting the Hafelekar Optical Ground Station
Following the event, participants from zerothird and NTS had the opportunity to visit the Optical Ground Station on the Hafelekar, operated by the University of Innsbruck.
Located high above the city, the station serves as a platform for experimental quantum communication links, including potential connections to satellites. The visit provided a unique perspective on how experimental quantum communication infrastructure is being developed in practice.
From Quantum Research to Operational Networks
Events like Quantensprung highlight how Europe’s quantum ecosystem is evolving from scientific discovery to operational deployment.
Through partnerships between research institutions, technology companies, and IT integrators, quantum technologies are beginning to form the foundation of future secure communication infrastructure.
zerothird and NTS are proud to contribute to this transition.
