News

The Czech Republic is entering the next phase of building its quantum communication infrastructure. It now boasts a complete quantum backbone network connecting Prague, Brno, and Ostrava, through which shared information should flow securely, taking into account the potential risks associated with the advent of quantum computers. The Czech side presented the results of the pilot operation on April 14, 2026, at the ceremonial launch of the Czech Quantum Communication Infrastructure (CZQCI). The event was attended by representatives of the European Union, foreign consortia, government agencies, research institutions, and industry.

The CZQCI project is part of the pan-European EuroQCI initiative, which aims to create an extremely secure communication infrastructure based on quantum technologies. The goal is to begin building a complete communication network after 2030, connecting institutions of nation-states and the European Union, critical infrastructure, and selected private entities. The launch of the Czech national backbone network is the first step for the Czech Republic. A broad consortium of academic and research organizations, communication infrastructure providers, and partners from government, the armed forces, and the cybersecurity sector is participating in the initiative. FIT VUT is part of it.

CyberSecurityHubcz has taken on the coordination and integration of the project at the national level, providing key expertise, connecting individual stakeholders, and ensuring alignment with European initiatives.

“Building quantum communication infrastructure is a long-term and complex process that requires close cooperation across the academic sphere, research organizations, government, and industry. CZQCI is the technological foundation from which the secure communications of the future can grow, as well as a space for educating a new generation of experts in the field of quantum technologies. The newly developed know-how and expertise of the technical teams are key here,” said Assoc. Prof. Jan Bouda, CZQCI project coordinator from CyberSecurityHub.

Infrastructure and Education for the Future

The main objectives of the CZQCI project are fourfold.

1. Primarily, it involves the creation of a test backbone network connecting Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. We can simply imagine it as a special security layer (a dedicated optical link) over the current optical network, based on technologies for quantum key distribution. This layer serves to securely generate and share encryption keys—the advantage is that any attempt to eavesdrop on communications secured in this way will result in a change in the quantum state and can be detected;
2. the project includes educational activities in the field of quantum communication security (a set of courses and modules for both experts and laypeople), including training for management and senior government officials to enable future informed decisions;
3. The third objective of CZQCI is to provide public institutions and companies with the opportunity to actually test quantum communication via temporary connections to a test network;
4. Finally, it is worth mentioning the establishment of laboratory and testing facilities featuring a representative sample of various quantum technologies.

Our faculty is intensively involved in CZQCI. The principal investigator for the project at FIT VUT is Assoc. Prof. Ondřej Ryšavý. “FIT contributes to the deployment and maintenance of quantum infrastructure. For CzechSecurityHub, we provide ‘manpower’ in the form of our experts and their knowledge,” says Ryšavý, commenting on his and his colleagues’ role. Equipment has been installed at the faculty as part of the project to verify the usability of quantum technologies. Participation in the project also allows our other researchers and students to become more familiar with quantum communication. By the way: It was between our faculty and FEKT VUT that the first inter-faculty quantum link in the Czech Republic was launched in 2022.

Quantum technologies are one of the major challenges of the future of IT. This is also why our faculty is currently preparing a new study specialization with this focus.

List of CZQCI partners

CyberSecurityHubcz, CESNET z.s.p.o., Czech Technical University in Prague, Palacký University in Olomouc, Institute of Instrumentation of the Czech Academy of Sciences, VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, Brno University of Technology.

Space Research and Technology: Few sectors evoke a sense of extraordinary prestige and sophistication quite like this one. The Czech Republic has a long-standing tradition in this field and has no intention of falling behind today—in 2008, it became a member state of the European Space Agency (ESA), and since then, Czech companies have been increasingly involved in the development of European projects, particularly satellite subsystems and small satellites. Brno (and by extension the South Moravian Region) plays a pivotal role in this research and development; it can, without exaggeration, be called the center of space companies and research in the Czech Republic: Over 30 companies focused on the development and production of technologies for satellites and space missions operate in the region. Entities from the region have so far participated in more than 350 collaborations with ESA, as evidenced by the JIC agency’s Brno Tech Region 2026 Data Report.

To support early-career researchers in the field of space research, a student conference is being held for the fourth time, co-organized by three Brno universities—BUT, MU, and MENDELU—together with the Brno Space Cluster organization. FIT VUT also plays an important role in these activities, where the development of space-related technologies is linked, for example, to Dr. Tomáš Kašpárek, who can be contacted regarding conference details. Submissions for presentations are currently being accepted.

April 29, 2026, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
MENDELU, Zemědělská 1

The purpose of the BRNO SPACE – STUDENT CONFERENCE 2026 is to provide students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs with the opportunity to present their projects, research, theses, etc., in the field of “space.” In a broader sense, the goal is to develop a platform for mutual meetings, networking, and collaboration not only among university student teams but also between the academic community, the commercial sector, and other partners who utilize space applications in various forms.

Student presentations at the conference may take the form of:

• a short conference presentation lasting 10–12 minutes (followed by a discussion),
• an A0-sized poster with the opportunity for discussion during the main break directly at the poster; posters will be displayed in the auditorium lobby.

Requests to include a presentation in the conference program can be sent by April 13 via email to libor.lenza@mendelu.cz (please use the subject line: “Presentation Submission for Brno Space Conference 2026”). More detailed information on submissions can be found HERE. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the organizing committee, and the most interesting ones will be included in the program.

Last year’s conference took place in the auditorium of the BUT Rectorate and was attended by 130 participants, including representatives of the ESA BIC Czech Republic incubation center, members of the YSpace student team, and the Brno Space Cluster organization. Students presented their own satellite projects, shared experiences from ESA programs, and discussed topics such as systems engineering and the lubrication of satellite bearings in space. Companies from Brno and the surrounding area participated in the program, and the event also featured networking and a poster session.

Having a great idea in your head is just the beginning. The hardest part is usually turning that vision into a working solution and determining whether the project has real market potential. Join us for the second panel discussion with successful company founders, taking place on Wednesday, April 22, at 3:00 p.m. at FIT.

This panel discussion will focus on the “next phase”: how to organize your ideas, how Lean Canvas can be useful, and what creating your first prototype or MVP entails. In the next in a series of discussions with successful founders, we’ll explore where a project’s true value lies—whether in the idea itself, the technology, or the people around you. You’ll learn how to identify a viable concept, where to find partners to bring it to life, and how to start thinking about your project potentially becoming a source of income. Come find out exactly what to do so your idea doesn’t just stay in your head but becomes a reality.

The discussion will focus on the practical steps that separate successful projects from those that remain on the shelf:

• Reality Check: How to use common sense and criteria to determine which idea is worth investing hundreds of hours into.
• From Chaos to a Plan: How to use tools like the Lean Canvas for a quick assessment and what to do in the first days of implementation.
• Finding the Dream Team: How to choose teammates and whether brilliant code or good team chemistry is more important in the early stages.
• The Magic of Prototyping: When is a product “good enough” to launch, and how to find the courage to show an imperfect solution to users.
• Business Mindset: When to stop thinking of your project as a student project and start building a sustainable company.

Panel guests:

Confirmed guests:

• Jan Polišenský – founder of Lakmoos
• Michal Španěl – founder of Tescan 3Dim (exit)
• Jirka Tobola – co-founder of Flowmon Networks (exit)
• Petr Janošík – co-founder of Smartlook (exit)
• Michal Hradiš – founder of Cognitechna

When and where?

• Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 3:00–4:30 PM
• Location: FIT VUT; the exact location will be specified based on the number of registered participants

Registration: To attend, please register by Monday, April 20, 2026