At the headquarters of the Port Authority in the Lloyd Tower in Trieste, on July 14th, an innovative agreement was signed, unique in the country in terms of quantum communication. The promoters are the Port of Trieste with the University of Trieste, the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), the Scientific and Technological Research Area of Trieste – Area Science Park and the National Research Council – CNR.

Using the laws of Physics to encode and protect data and communications in an absolutely inviolable way thanks to quantum cryptography is one of the challenges in science and technology that will have the greatest political and social impact in our future. For this reason, our Department of Physics has had and will have, within the framework of this agreement, a predominant role.

The aim of the agreement is to promote joint initiatives for the study of the theoretical and experimental foundations and the application of quantum communication in the field of transport and port logistics.

This first step constitutes the core of a "cluster" dedicated to these activities of information dissemination, research, technological development and application tests. The objective is to open up as much as possible to the participation of further stakeholders, public and private, in the sectors of R&D&I, transport and international logistics with potential repercussions also at the level of production activities. The agreement provides, in particular, for the possibility of creating ad hoc partnerships for the development and implementation of pilot projects on selected logistics chains of interest to the port system of the Eastern Adriatic.

"Today's signing launches a technological development project that will become a model for Italy and Europe, also in terms of dialogue between scientific institutions and local production entities" - says the Rector of the University of Trieste, Roberto Di Lenarda - "The path that led to today’s agreement began in 2019 with the "Quantum FVG" project, funded by the Region and coordinated by our university, for the creation of a local quantum communication network. This experience, combined with the skills that we will put in place in the PNRR Partnership on Quantum Sciences and Technologies and in the construction of the European quantum communication infrastructure EuroQCI, make UniTS a qualified partner for the success of the project we launch today".