On Wednesday 26 November, Elena Kniazeva, Senior Programme Manager – Critical Technologies attended the IQN (Integrated Quantum Network Hub) Industry Partners Forum, read her post-event recap below.
The IQN (Integrated Quantum Network Hub) Industry Partners Forum brought together members of the global quantum community to share insights on the future of secure quantum networks. The Hub's ambitions are significant, with pioneering work underway to lay the foundations for a quantum internet that may emerge in the coming decades. It was impressive to see the strong collaboration across the different work packages — from quantum components and memories to full network architectures — all driven by leading academic research groups across the UK, with Scotland serving as the core of the Hub's leadership.
The forum highlighted several upcoming opportunities, including new PhD sponsorships on the near horizon. The team also announced their participation in the QNetwork Workshop scheduled for May 2026 in Bristol, as well as a Summer School on Quantum Cybersecurity planned for Spring 2026.
We also received excellent technical updates, including advances in quantum emitters and detectors presented by Prof. Mark Fox from the University of Sheffield and Dr. Lisa Saalbach from Heriot-Watt University. Another exciting development involves plans to extend the fibre network from Edinburgh to Glasgow, enabling long-distance connections and marking an important step toward establishing Scotland's first operational quantum network.
The event also featured an extensive update on satellite-based quantum communications, presented by Ross Donaldson. It was noted that the SPOQC space demonstrator is expected to launch in early 2026, alongside the recent opening of a state-of-the-art Hub Optical Ground Station (HOGS).
Jamie Cameron provided an encouraging outlook on anticipated new funding opportunities arriving in early 2026 — so stay tuned!
The day concluded with a delightful tour of the Johnnie Walker Whisky Experience, a perfect blend of history, entertainment, and a bit of tasting to round off the discussions.
