Erste Group has integrated a commercial quantum encryption solution into its critical infrastructure. In a pilot project in Vienna, an entanglement-based Quantum-Key-Distribution (eQKD) from Austrian deeptech startup zerothird has been running for some time over A1’s fiber-optic infrastructure.
Erste Group in the top league of quantum technology
This technology is based on Austrian Nobel Prize research and encrypts financial data with quantum keys that even future quantum computers cannot crack. According to the “Quantum Index,” Erste Group is positioning itself among the top 20 financial institutions worldwide in quantum technology and among the top 3 in the EU.
With the eQKD solution, it is possible to encrypt and decrypt data during ongoing operations. CEO Peter Bosek explains the strategic dimension: “Europe and Austria should not underestimate their potential. Together with A1 and zerothird, we are demonstrating what can be achieved. We are preparing our infrastructure for the era of quantum communication, an era in which classical digital encryption will no longer provide sufficient protection.” The bank plans to gradually upgrade its international infrastructure with quantum-safe solutions.
zerothird aims for “true digital sovereignty”
Conventional cryptography is based on mathematical problems that today’s computers cannot solve in reasonable time. Quantum computers are expected to break this encryption within seconds. While the systems are still in laboratories, commercial breakthrough is foreseeable. “Trust is the strongest currency in banking. Since quantum technologies will rewrite the rules of cybersecurity, we are acting now by piloting quantum-safe communication and preparing for post-quantum encryption,” says Maurizio Poletto, COO and CPO of Erste Group.
In the EU-funded QUAPITAL project, the consortium is aiming for a world record: a quantum-safe connection between Vienna and Frankfurt. The distance is considered an enormous challenge for QKD systems due to physical signal attenuation in fiber-optic cables. If implementation succeeds, Erste Group would be the global leader in bridging such distances in quantum networks. “What we are realizing here is far more than a single technology project – it is a strategic step toward true digital sovereignty,” says Felix Tiefenbacher, CEO of zerothird.
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