Inauguration of the Antonia
Ferrín Optical Ground Station
UVigo inaugurates Spain’s largest quantum communications optical ground station
The University of Vigo has officially inaugurated the largest quantum communications optical ground station in Spain, a strategic infrastructure that strengthens Galicia’s position as a leading hub in advanced quantum communication technologies.
The new facility, developed within the framework of the University of Vigo’s research ecosystem and funded by the European NextGenerationEU and the Galician Regional Gorvernment via the “Planes Complementarios de I+D+I” in quantum communication, is designed to support cutting-edge research in satellite-based quantum communications, and represents a major step forward in the deployment of future quantum networks. The station will play a key role in the development and validation of technologies for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and space-ground quantum communication links.
This milestone reinforces the strategic commitment of the University of Vigo and its research centres to the advancement of secure communication systems based on quantum physics. The infrastructure is expected to support both experimental research and international collaboration within European initiatives such as EuroQCI (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure), aimed at building a secure quantum communication network across the continent.
The Vigo Quantum Communication Center (VQCC) highlights this achievement as a key contribution to the growing quantum ecosystem in Galicia, where complementary efforts in fibre-based quantum networks and satellite communications are positioning the region at the forefront of quantum innovation in Europe.
As quantum technologies continue to transition from research to real-world deployment, infrastructures such as this optical ground station are essential to testing, validating, and scaling secure communication systems for future societal and industrial applications.
A UVigo estrea a maior estación terrea para comunicacións cuánticas de España | Universidade de Vigo
