Welinq sells QDrive quantum memory in Europe

Welinq announces the sale of QDrive, its commercial record-breaking quantum memory to the Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, as part of the Slovak quantum communication infrastructure. 

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Paris & Bratislava, 13 January 2025. Just two years after the start of its development, QDrive has progressed from advanced research to product-grade, commercial quantum memory. Designed, industrialized, and brought to market in a record time, QDrive’s first commercial sale marks a key step in the deployment of quantum networking technologies.  

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This contract is part of a broader deployment roadmap. Additional QDrive systems are already in production for research facilities, quantum networks, and data-center infrastructure, supporting Welinq’s strategy to scale quantum-ready networking technologies toward industrial adoption. 

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The skQCI project: building National and European Quantum Infrastructure 

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The skQCI project aims to establish Slovakia’s national quantum communication infrastructure, contributing to the wider European effort to deploy secure, quantum-ready networks within the EuroQCI framework. Led by the Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences (IP SAS), the nation’s premier scientific research institution, with the support of Slovak National Center for Quantum Technologies (QUTE.sk) the project underscores Slovakia’s commitment to strengthening its strategic research and cybersecurity infrastructure.

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Quantum memories play a central role in this effort. By enabling the storage, buffering, andsynchronization of quantum states, they allow networks to scale beyond point-to-point links and overcome fundamental distance limitations in optical fibers. These capabilities are essential notonly for quantum-secure communications, but also for more advanced networked quantum computing architectures. 

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The integration of QDrive into the skQCI infrastructure will introduce a robust, high-performance quantum memory into an operational network, supporting Slovakia’s national objectives while contributing to the broader maturation of quantum networking technologies in Europe.  

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Rooted in Europe, Scaling Globally 

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QDrive is the result of a unique European innovation pathway that connects academic research, public support, and industrial execution. 

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Its foundations lie in research supported by the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA), and its development was accelerated through Welinq’s participation in EIC-backed programs. Together, these efforts enabled the transition from experimental concepts to a commercially deployable product, aligned with the objectives of the EuroQCI and the Quantum Flagship. 

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While deeply rooted inEurope, Welinq’s ambitions are global and 2026 will see expansion move toward North America and Asia. 

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Quantum-Ready Networks and Data-Centers 

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Welinq is working to enable scalable quantum infrastructure, spanning secure communications, distributed quantum computing, and quantum-augmented data centers. 

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Quantum memories are a cornerstone of this vision. They enable the extension and coordination of quantum networks, the synchronization of distributed quantum resources, and the construction of more advanced architectures based on entanglement distribution. 

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With QDrive, Welinq delivers quantum memory as a practical infrastructure component, available today for communication networks, and engineered for future deploymentsin data-centers. 

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Deployments such as skQCI represent an important step in thisdirection, demonstrating how quantum networking technologies can support both secure national infrastructures and the longer-term evolution toward heterogeneous quantum computing clusters and quantum-enabled data centers. 

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About Welinq 

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Based in Paris, Welinq is an innovative company specializing in quantum networking technologies, developing both hardware and software solutions for scalable quantum computing.  

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A spin-off from Sorbonne University, CNRS,and PSLUniversity, Welinq was founded in 2022 by Tom Darras, Julien Laurat, and Eleni Diamanti. The company's mission is to drive the widespread integration of quantum computing by providing comprehensive solutions for quantum data centers and secure communication networks 

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About the Institute of Physics, SlovakAcademy of Sciences (IP SAS)

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The Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences is a leading research institution in Slovakia, driving excellence in fundamental and strategic research across disciplines. For more than 25 years IP SAS has been contributing to Slovakia’s technological leadership and innovation capacity. Known for theoretical achievements in algorithms for quantum cloning and programming, protocols for quantum secret sharing and quantum-enhance delections, IPSAS has recently initiated an experimental quantum photonics communication program to strengthen the portfolio and expertise of the country in successful deployment of quantum technologies and innovations. From 2022 IPSAS is a member of Slovak National Center for Quantum Technologies – QUTE.sk.

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© Agence Oblique | Alexis Anice for the picture

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