Europe’s largest port is now employing quantum security in a world-first trial, powered by technology from Dutch startup Q*Bird, which has rebranded as Falqon Systems, the company says. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is implementing Falqon technology to protect its digital infrastructure and communications with partners including customs authorities and logistics providers.
Accommodating 28,000 oceangoing ships and 90,000 inland vessels annually, the port’s security is paramount given escalating cyber threats. “We’re using a novel approach by enabling many different users to connect to the same central switch station,” says Q*Bird co-founder and CEO, Ingrid Romijn, of the trial designed to allow a large number of users to exchange highly secured information.
Rotterdam Port Trial: Implementing Scalable Quantum Security
The Port of Rotterdam is now securing its communications with a multi-user quantum network, a first for a major port and a demonstration of the scalability of Q*Bird’s rebranded Falqon technology. This trial extends security beyond the port’s internal infrastructure to encompass vital exchanges with customs authorities and logistics providers, recognizing the interconnected nature of modern supply chains. The implementation of Falqon relies on Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDI-QKD), a technology Q*Bird asserts is commercially available.
MDI-QKD addresses vulnerabilities in conventional detector systems, enhancing the resilience of the quantum network against sophisticated attacks. This approach allows for secure key distribution across a network designed for multiple users, a departure from earlier quantum communication systems often limited to point-to-point connections.
This trial builds on a partnership between the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Q*Bird, Portbase, Single Quantum, Cisco, Eurofiber, Intermax and InnovationQuarter, demonstrating a collaborative effort to bolster critical infrastructure security. Q*Bird’s recent partnership with Eurofiber, a provider of digital infrastructure, is intended to expand the reach of this quantum security beyond Rotterdam, with a stated goal of operating 60 quantum networks across Europe, Asia, and North America by 2030.
The company secured €2.5 million in grants and €5 million in equity investment in January 2026 to scale its network operations and advance federated quantum internet infrastructure, according to Falqon Systems. Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from Delft University of Technology, Q*Bird has rapidly transitioned from academic research to commercial deployment. The company’s origins in TU Delft continue through ongoing research collaborations, and its technology has already been deployed in operational networks connecting data centers, university buildings, and research facilities in Utrecht.
Q*Bird won the Dutch IT Channel Award 2025 in the Networking & Edge Innovator category, and received €1 million in subsidies to further develop its QKD technology, demonstrating recognition of its innovation within the Netherlands.
We’re using a novel approach by enabling many different users to connect to the same central switch station. This will allow a large number of users to exchange highly secured information.
Falqon Technology: Enabling Multi-User Quantum Networks
Falqon Systems is expanding beyond quantum key generation to offer complete infrastructure for operational quantum secure networks, a shift reflected in its rebranding from Q*Bird and a broadened product portfolio. This move acknowledges a maturing market where organizations now demand interoperable systems capable of securing communications across multiple networks and distributed environments, rather than isolated technology demonstrations. The company’s foundational Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDI-QKD) technology remains central, but is now integrated with key management and network orchestration tools.
Building operational Quantum Secure Networks (QSN) requires more than just generating quantum keys; it demands integrated infrastructure capable of securely managing cryptographic keys, orchestrating network operations, and enabling interoperability, according to company documentation. Falqon Systems addresses this need with a suite of products including the Falqon MDI-QKD Series, Falqon Key Manager, and Falqon Domain Controller, designed to support the complete lifecycle of QSN deployments.
This expansion signifies a strategic evolution, aligning the company’s identity with its long-term vision for scalable and resilient quantum communication. MDI-QKD is the technological bedrock of Falqon’s approach, removing detector-side vulnerabilities from the QKD security model and enabling secure key distribution across multi-user network architectures. This focus on scalability is important, as the company aims to support quantum interconnects, distributed quantum computing, and the future quantum internet, designing its network architecture to evolve alongside emerging technologies.
The transition to Falqon Systems does not alter core elements of the business, including ownership, leadership, employees, customer relationships, or the existing technology roadmap, the firm reports. This commitment is reinforced by ongoing research programs and intellectual property, ensuring a stable foundation for future development and deployment. Falqon’s technologies are not limited to laboratory settings; they are already deployed in operational quantum communication networks across Europe, including multi-site and cross-border environments.
This practical implementation demonstrates the company’s ability to translate research into real-world solutions, addressing the growing demand for secure communications in critical infrastructure and sensitive data environments. The company’s long-term strategy is to provide the infrastructure for secure communications while simultaneously laying the groundwork for future quantum networking advancements.
With the advancement of quantum computing, organisations are preparing for the eventual arrival of Q-Day, the point at which sufficiently powerful quantum computers could compromise widely used public-key cryptography.
MDI-QKD Foundation: Securing Falqon’s Quantum Secure Networks
Unlike traditional QKD methods susceptible to attacks targeting detector flaws, MDI-QKD shifts the security focus, removing those detector-side weaknesses and enabling secure key distribution across larger, more scalable network architectures. This architectural choice is central to Falqon’s strategy of deploying operational quantum secure communication infrastructure, rather than remaining confined to laboratory demonstrations. Falqon Systems’ approach embeds security directly into the network architecture, establishing trusted connectivity across these complex deployments, rather than securing individual communication links in isolation.
This design anticipates the evolving demands of customers moving beyond standalone quantum technologies toward comprehensive network solutions. “Building upon the technological foundation established through scalable MDI-QKD, Falqon Systems reflects the company’s broader strategy of developing the infrastructure required to deploy, integrate, manage and operate Quantum Secure Networks (QSN),” the company states.
The network architecture is intentionally designed to accommodate future advancements, supporting quantum interconnects, distributed quantum computing, networked quantum sensors, and the eventual realization of a quantum internet. Falqon’s technology is not theoretical; it is already operational in quantum communication networks throughout Europe, including deployments spanning multiple sites and even crossing international borders.
Q*Bird Rebranding: Transition to Falqon Systems Identity
Falqon Systems is now the official identity of the company formerly known as Q*Bird, a change reflecting a strategic shift toward delivering complete Quantum Secure Networks (QSN) rather than standalone quantum communication technologies. This rebranding accompanies operational deployments demonstrating the technology’s scalability and readiness within real-world network infrastructures, including a world-first trial at the Port of Rotterdam. The transition does not alter existing contractual agreements or invalidate previously issued technical documentation, ensuring continuity for current partners and customers.
Updated materials will be released gradually under the Falqon Systems branding as part of a standard documentation update cycle. This commitment to seamless transition is underscored by the company’s assurance that teams and support channels remain unchanged, despite the new corporate identity. The company secured €2.5 million in grants and equity investment in January 2026 to scale its quantum-secure communication technology.
This funding supports both European production expansion and the development of federated quantum internet infrastructure. Ingrid Romijn is the chief executive, guiding the company’s broadened focus. Falqon Systems’ strategy centers on providing the infrastructure necessary to deploy, integrate, manage, and operate QSN, moving beyond simply securing individual communication links. The new identity, therefore, signifies a move from building the comprehensive networks that will utilize it, and other quantum technologies, in the future.
The company’s website has transitioned to falqonsystems.com, with redirects implemented to ensure uninterrupted access to resources. Customers and partners require no immediate action, as the change primarily affects corporate branding and positioning.
Falqon Systems emphasizes that this rebranding is a fundamental alignment with the evolving market and its long-term strategic direction. “The transition to Falqon Systems reflects this market evolution and aligns the company’s identity with its long-term strategic direction,” the company states, signaling a commitment to becoming a central provider of quantum secure network infrastructure.
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