This work is part of the activities of the PON project “Development of quantum systems and technologies for IT security in communication networks” (QUANCOM) which aims to the realization of a metropolitan quantum communication network through the collaboration between universities, research centers and companies operating in the communication market area.The paper presents an analysis of the research and innovation frontier related to Quantum Technologies and conducted through web-based methods and techniques, which allow the acquisition of high granularity information also from unconventional sources. The work aims to trace the strategic positioning of the QUANCOM project with reference to the evolution of the state of the art in order to: i) enucleate the most promising lines of research; ii) outline emerging market trends; iii) provide evidence on the innovativeness of existing technologies; iv) identify use cases and opportunities for industrial exploitation of the project results.Structured and unstructured information sources are used. The former is represented by national and international databases concerning: i) European research projects, ii) scientific publications and research reports, iii) patents, iii) market and investment trends. The second ones refer to websites of research centers, companies, innovation facilitators.The methodology involved performing 3 steps of analysis that led to specific results:1.through the analysis of the research frontier, 69 H2020 projects on Quantum Technologies were identified.2.the reconnaissance of the technology frontier led to the identification of a highly specific panel of 731 patents divided into 4 sub-areas focused on: i) QKD equipments; ii) terrestrial and satellite QKD networks; iii) layer 3 cryptography; iv) security technologies in Distributed Ledger applications.3.the reconstruction of the innovation ecosystem conducted through the web content mining approach, led, from a panel of more than 18,000 actors, to the identification of 142 public and private stakeholder that carry out research and innovation activities on the reference domain or commercially enhance solutions based on quantum technologies.
This work is part of the activities of the PON project “Development of quantum systems and technologies for IT security in communication networks” (QUANCOM) which aims to the realization of a metropolitan quantum communication network through the collaboration between universities, research centers and companies operating in the communication market area.The paper presents an analysis of the research and innovation frontier related to Quantum Technologies and conducted through web-based methods and techniques, which allow the acquisition of high granularity information also from unconventional sources. The work aims to trace the strategic positioning of the QUANCOM project with reference to the evolution of the state of the art in order to: i) enucleate the most promising lines of research; ii) outline emerging market trends; iii) provide evidence on the innovativeness of existing technologies; iv) identify use cases and opportunities for industrial exploitation of the project results.Structured and unstructured information sources are used. The former is represented by national and international databases concerning: i) European research projects, ii) scientific publications and research reports, iii) patents, iii) market and investment trends. The second ones refer to websites of research centers, companies, innovation facilitators.The methodology involved performing 3 steps of analysis that led to specific results:1.through the analysis of the research frontier, 69 H2020 projects on Quantum Technologies were identified.2.the reconnaissance of the technology frontier led to the identification of a highly specific panel of 731 patents divided into 4 sub-areas focused on: i) QKD equipments; ii) terrestrial and satellite QKD networks; iii) layer 3 cryptography; iv) security technologies in Distributed Ledger applications.3.the reconstruction of the innovation ecosystem conducted through the web content mining approach, led, from a panel of more than 18,000 actors, to the identification of 142 public and private stakeholder that carry out research and innovation activities on the reference domain or commercially enhance solutions based on quantum technologies.
Today, we are already using several-component devices and systems based on the technologies developed during the first quantum revolution. Examples include microchips for servers, laptops and smartphones, medical imaging devices, LED, lasers, etc. Now, a second quantum revolution is progressing fast, exploiting technological advances for the ability to engineer and manipulate other quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement and measurement. As a matter of fact, there is an impressive increase in research and development activities, innovation, public and private investments in a new wave of quantum services and applications. In this scenario, quantum information and communication technologies (QICTs) can be defined as a set of technological components, devices, systems and methods for elaborating, storing and transmitting/sharing quantum information. This paper addresses the challenges and opportunities enabling the rise of QICTs. In order to provide a concrete example, the paper describes an overview of the European project EQUO (European Quantum ecOsystems) dealing with ongoing innovation activities in the QICT avenue; in fact, EQUO aims at developing and demonstrating the feasibility of QKD (quantum key distribution) networks and their related integration in current telecommunications infrastructures towards the quantum internet.
Quantum technologies have emerged as critical enablers of next-generation communication, computation, and sensing systems. This review aims to assess the current state of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and related quantum technologies by examining recent empirical findings, methodological innovations, and systemic challenges. A structured literature search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar using Boolean keyword combinations targeting QKD, quantum sensing, and communication applications. The review focused on peer-reviewed articles from the last five years and included experimental studies, simulations, and applied case analyses. Findings show that QKD has demonstrated remarkable reliability in both controlled laboratory and real-world settings. Studies on multicore fiber networks highlight the potential for high-dimensional communication security, while comparative analyses reveal disparities between implementation strategies across different regions. However, systemic challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent regulation, and insufficient public understanding hinder wide-scale adoption. The discussion identifies critical factors contributing to these challenges and proposes actionable policy recommendations, including increased investment in infrastructure, standardized regulations, and targeted education programs. This review concludes that achieving the full potential of quantum technologies will require integrative strategies addressing technical, institutional, and social dimensions. Future research should emphasize longitudinal evaluation and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance scalability and impact. The insights offered here provide a foundational framework for policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to advance the adoption of secure, scalable quantum systems.
随着互联网信息技术日新月异的发展以及量子时代的不断迫近，各国对量子密码及量子通信领域研究的重视程度越来越高。量子密码专利数据可以很好地反映一个国家量子密码领域的进展与成果，进而揭示国家相关的科技实力和国防力量。本文分别从专利申请时间、专利申请机构、国际专利分类表(IPC分类)三方面切入，对2000年到2017年全球四大主要量子研发地区美国、欧盟、日本和中国的专利申请情况进行详细的分析研究，归纳各国量子密码领域的研究成果并预测各国研究热点趋势。这不仅为分析国家的科技实力提供了直观详实的数据支撑，而且在全球量子科技发展的深层次探索和国家的量子战略规划等方面具有重要的参考价值。 With the rapid development of Internet based on information technology and the approach of the quantum age, countries pay more and more attention to the research of quantum cryptography and quantum communication. The quantum cryptography patent data can well reflect the pro- gress and achievement in quantum cryptography field of a country, which reveals the relevant scientific and technological strength and national defense strength of a country. This paper makes a detailed analysis of patent applications from 2000 to 2017 in four major quantum research and development regions in the world, namely the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. The analysis is carried out from three aspects of patent application time, patent application organization and patent classification number. And then the research results in quantum cryptography field of the countries above are summarized and the research trends are predicted. These provide an intuitive and detailed data support for the analysis of a country’s scientific and technological strength. Moreover, it can be an important reference for further research on developments of global quantum technology and the national quantum strategic planning.
The article presents an international overview of the quantum security ecosystem, focusing on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The methodology involved a systematic mapping of 85 active organizations, revealing the predominance of the private sector (84.7%), with the highest concentration in the United States (30.59%) and China (14.12%). The data indicate a strong presence in the development of hybrid solutions (65.88%), which can be attributed to the pursuit of greater implementation flexibility, particularly in contexts of technological transition. These solutions are directly associated with strategic sectors such as telecommunications (31 organizations), cloud computing (17), and finance/government (16). Use cases demonstrate applications in IoT, 5G networks, blockchain, and digital identity, with notable contributions from companies such as Infineon, Toshiba, ID Quantique, CryptoNext, Microsoft, and DigiCert. Additionally, the results suggest increasing maturity, commercial expansion, and the relevance of PQC and QKD for technological resilience and sovereignty, establishing these technologies as pillars of secure digital infrastructures in the era of quantum computing.
Quantum computing provides the pathway to dismantle the security provided by cryptography especially classical public-key systems due to the emergence of Shor’s algorithm. This emerging threat necessitates the development of new security paradigms that are quantum-resistant. Consequently, two new approaches have emerged as prominent solutions, namely Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which relies on quantum mechanical principles for security, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which relies on classical cryptography for quantum resistance. This paper presents an extensive analysis of the global research trends in quantum cryptography and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms by incorporating the use of both bibliometric analysis and comparative analysis. The paper relies on a dataset collected from the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2025. The findings of the paper demonstrate an increase in scientific production in the field of quantum cryptography, with post-quantum cryptography emerging as a new dominant area coinciding with standardization by NIST, whereas quantum key distribution continues to evolve with new developments in quantum communication.
Quantum technology has garnered considerable attention for its transformative potential across various industries since the early 2000s, precipitating a surge in quantum start-ups and substantial investments worldwide. However, comprehensive research on quantum technology in industries, particularly start-ups in the quantum field, remains limited. This study analyzes a dataset of 1,200 quantum start-ups from 40 countries, specifically focusing on 430 notable active start-ups. The analysis provides a thorough perspective on the industry’s progress, including trends in growth, geographical distribution, industry categorization, and investment patterns. The study categorizes start-ups into five domains: quantum computing, communication, sensing, hardware, and software. The analysis further captures the progress made by ten prominent quantum start-ups, six major technology companies, and quantum consortia regarding their technological innovations and strategic partnerships. We provide a comparative analysis of prior research to identify current conditions and future implications validated by notable studies, focusing on key parameters such as dataset scope, geographical distribution, growth trends, industry categorization, taxonomy, main interests in quantum fields, key players, and ecosystem identification. This approach underscores the dynamic growth of the quantum industry, which will drive future advancements.