SQuaD visits the QR.N Workshop “From Quantum Communication to Quantum Networks”:
With over 100 participants – including representatives of the umbrella project –, the second workshop of the joint project “Quantenrepeater.Net (QR.N)” took place in mid-February 2026 at the Physikzentrum Bad Honnef (PBH). The two-day event, titled “From Quantum Communication to Quantum Networks,” focused on key questions surrounding the next stage of Quantum Technology Development – from Quantum Repeaters to the future networking of Quantum Computers and IT security in (Quantum) Networks. Following an introduction by project spokesperson Prof. Dr. Christoph Becher (Universität des Saarlandes) and a welcome by Dr. Sebastian Jester, Head of Division T13 “Communication Technologies and Cybersecurity; CISPA” at the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR), the first day particularly highlighted early-career researchers. Talks by Dr. Dorian Gangloff (University of Cambridge), Dr. Andreas Pfenning (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg), Dr. Patrick Ledingham (University of Southampton), Dr. Anna Pappa (Technische Universität Berlin), Prof. Dr. Ralf Riedinger (Universität Hamburg), and Prof. Dr. Johannes Zeiher (Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) provided exciting insights into current research approaches and new perspectives for scalable Quantum Networks. The first day concluded with an evening lecture by Dr. Mihir Bhaskar (IonQ) on Quantum Links for scalable, fault-tolerant Quantum Computers.
The second day was structured into two thematic blocks. The first block began with practical insights from Quantum Computing Start-ups. Dr. Sebastian Blatt (planqc), Dr. Ulrich Meier (IQM Quantum Computers), and Dr. Björn Lekitsch (neQxt GmbH) presented their companies’ visions and explained the technological and infrastructural challenges on the path to scalable Quantum Computers. It became clear that scaling is not an isolated hardware problem; it requires, among other things, robust architectures, new error-correction approaches, and efficient networking concepts. The second block focused on IT security in future (Quantum) Networks. Dr. Rüdiger Peusquens (Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH), Dr. Oliver Muth (Bundesdruckerei GmbH), and Karolin Varner (Rosenpass e. V.) impressively demonstrated how companies and institutions are already preparing for a post-quantum cryptographic future. A key message from the subsequent panel discussion was that Quantum Communication alone does not solve all problems. At the same time, it became evident that building Quantum Networks is increasingly of strategic importance and must be actively shaped.
Looking back, the QR.N workshop was a thoroughly successful event – characterized by insightful presentations and lively discussions from which participants are sure to benefit for a long time. For SQuaD, it was a great opportunity to network and gain insights into the current activities of the QR.N project. We are already looking forward to the next meeting.
Photos: Impressions of the QR.N workshop.