Construction has begun on the first cross-border quantum communication infrastructure between Bulgaria and Romania

Today, at the Institute of Robotics of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IR-BAS), the official launch took place for the construction of the first cross-border quantum communication infrastructure between Bulgaria and Romania – a key element of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI). The event took place at the QUASAR Center of Competence at IR-BAS which serves as the lead national coordinator for Bulgaria under the EuroQCI initiative, affirming the strategic role of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in the development of secure next-generation communication technologies.

The establishment of the Sofia–Bucharest quantum communication will provide a secure information channel for government institutions, research organizations, and strategic enterprises while also laying the groundwork for the development of quantum services in support of Europe’s digital transformation, cybersecurity, and technological sovereignty.

“Quantum communications are no longer a technology of the distant future. They are a technology of the present,” stated Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth Borislav Bankov, who, together with the Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, Yordanka Chobanova, officially launched the initiative.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, the European Commission in Bulgaria, the State Commission on Information Security, the diplomatic missions of Romania and Greece in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Robotics – BAS, as well as representatives of European institutions, international partners, and participants in the initiative.

The connectivity project between Sofia and Bucharest is part of a broader European network that will integrate national quantum communication infrastructures and create one of the most significant terrestrial quantum networks in Europe connecting Southeast, Central, and Western Europe.

Through its active role as national coordinator, the Institute of Robotics is positioning Bulgaria as a key player in the development of a secure, sustainable, and technologically independent European digital ecosystem.