Building an Elite Team to Shape Europe’s Quantum Internet

South East Technological University’s (SETU) Walton Institute secures €4m MSCA project to train Europe’s next generation of quantum innovators.  

Walton Institute at South East Technological University has been selected to coordinate QUESTING, a €4 million Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) doctoral network that will train the next generation of quantum internet experts. The project brings together nine European universities and 13 industry partners to address one of the continent’s most pressing technology challenges.

QUESTING is the first doctoral network to tackle the complete lifecycle of distributed quantum networks. Over the coming years, it will train 15 fully-funded PhD candidates as “Q-System Innovators” – specialists with rare interdisciplinary expertise spanning quantum technology, communications, computing, and social sciences.

The project addresses a critical skills shortage. Quantum networks promise to revolutionise secure communications and distributed computing, but Europe requires a trained workforce to design, manage, and operate these systems at scale.

Dr Indrakshi Dey, Principal Investigator of QUESTING at Walton Institute, is calling on Europe’s brightest talent to apply. “We are not just offering 15 PhD positions,” she said. “We are inviting exceptional minds to join an elite, interdisciplinary team backed by industry leaders and world-class infrastructure. If you are ready to stop studying the future and start engineering it, QUESTING is your launching pad.”

For Ireland, the project represents a significant boost to the country’s position in quantum research. As coordinator, Walton Institute will manage the entire consortium, enhancing its international profile and attracting top doctoral talent to the south east region. The institute brings extensive experience leading large-scale EU projects to the role.

Speaking about the growing demand for quantum technologies, Dr Deirdre Kilbane, Director of Research at the Walton Institute, SETU, explains the leading role Walton plays in elevating the understanding and capabilities of the technologies. “We are expanding on our existing quantum expertise with the announcement of this QUESTING project here in the Walton Institute. Our team of researchers will be leaders in theoretical modelling and optimisation of advanced quantum networks, which will benefit society in untold ways.”

The QUESTING consortium includes Trinity College Dublin and the University of Galway’s Irish Centre for High-End Computing among its partners. Industry collaborators include Airbus Defence and Space, British Telecommunications, Telecom Italia, and the Austrian Institute of Technology.

By training specialists who understand quantum systems from design through to deployment, QUESTING aims to give Europe a competitive edge in the race to build the quantum internet. The project will establish a harmonised doctoral curriculum that becomes the European standard for training in quantum network systems.

The work addresses what researchers call the “fertile nexus” where quantum and classical computing meet. Rather than treating quantum networks in isolation, QUESTING takes a holistic approach, integrating expertise from quantum physics, complex systems theory, information engineering, and even humanities disciplines to consider ethical and societal implications.

Applications for the 15 funded PhD positions are now open. Contact Indrakshi.Dey@waltoninstitute.ie for details.