Ireland Steps Up to Protect Europe’s Digital Future

Ireland is taking a leading role in Europe’s digital security with the launch of Q-FENCE, a €5.3 million Horizon Europe project coordinated by Walton Institute at South East Technological University (SETU). The project will help protect critical digital infrastructure from emerging quantum computing threats.

With acute sectors including healthcare, finance and public utilities experiencing a surge in cyberattacks, Q-FENCE addresses an urgent threat. Quantum computers, once fully developed, could break the encryption methods currently protecting everything from bank transactions to medical records.

The EU has mandated that all critical systems must upgrade to quantum-resistant security standards by 2030. By coordinating this vital European project, SETU and Walton Institute are positioning Ireland as a leader in future-proof digital security.

The project brings together 12 partners from academic and industry bodies across Europe to develop next-generation encryption capable of protecting sensitive data by focusing on two major goals: creating security tools that can withstand quantum-era threats and helping organisations move smoothly from existing encryption systems to new, quantum-resistant ones.

Dr Indrakshi Dey, Principal Investigator at Walton Institute, SETU, said: “We are entering a phase where security means using the best of both traditional and quantum technologies. With Q-FENCE, our aim is to create security frameworks that can protect Europe’s digital backbone for decades to come. This project gives organisations a clear pathway to the quantum-safe future.”

Instead of developing technology in isolation, Q-FENCE will work directly with industry, public bodies and regulators. The project will test solutions in real-world settings, ensuring that they are practical, affordable and suitable for sectors that cannot afford disruption, such as hospitals, banks, government agencies and essential utilities.

To show how these solutions work in practice, Q-FENCE will run demonstrations across several sectors. It will deliver quantum-safe encryption for financial institutions, healthcare providers and government agencies.

The project will develop energy-efficient security systems for manufacturers, smart grids and connected device networks. In addition, Q-FENCE will provide tools for detecting fraud and money laundering in real-time, alongside improved encryption for cloud services.