IrelandQCI launches mobile quantum engagement trailer

Posted on: 29 May 2025

The Irish government was represented by Patrick Neary, Assistant Secretary – Communications at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the co-funder of the IrelandQCI project.

He was joined by Dr Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity; Dr Deirdre Kilbane, IrelandQCI Project Lead and Director of Research at the Walton Institute, South East Technological University (SETU); John Regan, Managing Director of ESB Telecoms and IrelandQCI consortium partner; and Professor Dan Kilper, Director at the CONNECT Research Ireland Centre for Future Networks.

IrelandQCI, is a €10 million project aiming to build a national quantum infrastructure for Ireland as part of DIGITAL Europe’s EuroQCI, an EU-wide quantum communications infrastructure programme.

The goal is to secure critical infrastructure against the threat of cybersecurity attacks due to advances in quantum computing power. The EuroQCI initiative is co-funded by the Irish government’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the European Commission and includes 26 EU member states.

Led by the Walton Institute at SETU on behalf of CONNECT Research Ireland Centre, IrelandQCI is made up of a consortium of academic and industry partners, including six national universities, ESB Telecoms and HEAnet.

IrelandQCI is developing a quantum key distribution (QKD) infrastructure along a major network backbone connecting Dublin to Cork via Waterford. This will integrate cutting-edge quantum technologies with existing classical fibre systems to future-proof Ireland’s communications networks against cyber threats.

A highlight of this initiative is the IrelandQCI Quantum & Answers Trailer – an interactive mobile unit designed to demystify quantum science. Funded by the European Commission and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and supported by the CONNECT Research Ireland Centre, the trailer features hands-on experiments and interactive demonstrations to help the public better understand quantum concepts and their real-world applications. It also aims to inspire future generations to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

From left to right at the launch are Prof. Dan Kilper, Director of the CONNECT Centre; Dr Deirdre Kilbane, IrelandQCI Project Lead; Dr Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity; Patrick Neary, Assistant Secretary – Communications at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, and John Regan, Managing Director at ESB Telecoms.

Following the official launch, the IrelandQCI Quantum & Answers Trailer remained on display at Trinity, engaging students and general public, with quantum demonstrations taking place on board.

The Q & A trailer will now embark on a roadshow tour across the country in the year ahead, exhibiting at national and regional events including showcasing at schools, STEM events and industry conferences, with the objective of educating stakeholders on the benefits of quantum communication technologies.

At the launch, Patrick Neary said: “Quantum technologies represent a critical pillar in building Ireland’s secure digital future. The launch of the Quantum & Answers Trailer, as part of the IrelandQCI initiative, is a creative and important step in bringing the science behind these innovations to the public. We are proud to support this initiative, which not only educates but also inspires the next generation to engage with these technologies.”

Dr Deirdre Kilbane, IrelandQCI Project Lead, said: "Today is an exciting day for the IrelandQCI project, as we have been working towards an innovative initiative to raise awareness of the benefits of quantum technologies to the general public in an exciting way.  We encourage anyone interested in learning about quantum technologies to follow the movement of the IrelandQCI Q & A Trailer on our social media channels, pose questions to our experts, and visit us at showcase events. With the creation of the secure communication network, this project represents a major step forward in our ability to protect and encrypt communications. Now, we are keen to educate the general public on how this will benefit wider society."

Prof. Dan Kilper, Director at CONNECT, said: "Quantum technologies are changing the way we think about communication and cybersecurity. At CONNECT, we’re really proud to be part of the IrelandQCI Quantum & Answers trailer, it’s a brilliant way to bring these complex ideas to life. For us, it’s all about building trust in our digital future, sparking curiosity in the next generation of thinkers, and helping today’s workforce gain the skills they’ll need in a world where quantum technology will become part of everyday life."

John Regan, Managing Director at ESB Telecoms, said: "ESB Telecoms takes immense pride in providing the vital fibre optic backbone for the Ireland QCI project. Quantum technology will ensure the security of our digital infrastructure and cyber security well into the future. Today marks another significant milestone with the launch of the Mobile Quantum Engagement Trailer, making it the perfect opportunity to bring this complex technology to life and showcase how it will future-proof Ireland’s critical network infrastructure.” 

The activities of the IrelandQCI Quantum & Answers Trailer can be followed across the project social media channels, where the general public are encouraged to pose questions to our quantum experts. While in transit, traveling to engagements across Ireland, the experts as part of the IrelandQCI consortium will be answering quantum questions such as ‘what are real life applications for quantum computing?’ and ‘how will a quantum network benefit Ireland?’

The IrelandQCI Quantum & Answer Trailer will be used to educate key stakeholders and the general public about the importance and relevance of quantum technology to our everyday lives and build the quantum workforce in Ireland to future-proof our networks through a series of lectures, training, workshops and visits to quantum technology laboratories.

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