IMDEA Networks showcases its advances at the closing of the Quantum Communications Plan

The institute presents its quantum communications testbed developed within the MadQuantum-CM framework and integrated into the NEXTONIC laboratory

27 November 2025

As part of the MadQuantum-CM project, IMDEA Networks has participated in the final event of the Complementary Quantum Communications Plan, held in November in Barcelona at the ICFO (Institute of Photonic Sciences). The event brought together scientific institutions, universities, technology centers, and representatives from the regional programs that make up the Complementary Quantum Communications Plan, promoted by the Government of Spain together with several regions.

This event marked the official closing of the plan, whose objective was to lay the foundations for a national quantum communications infrastructure and strengthen Spain’s participation in European initiatives such as the future EuroQCI. Over the two days, advances, demonstrations, and results from the different regional nodes were presented, including MadQuantum-CM, the Quantum Communications project of the Community of Madrid.

IMDEA Networks has played a relevant role within the activities of MadQuantum-CM, with an advanced testbed for experimentation in secure quantum communications integrated into the NEXTONIC laboratory. This infrastructure is also part of MadQCI, the quantum communications network of the Community of Madrid, positioning IMDEA Networks as a strategic node for the development and validation of quantum technologies. The testbed developed at NEXTONIC has enabled the deployment and evaluation of several project developments, including:

• A virtualized and disaggregated plane for quantum key distribution (QKD) management, based on SDN technologies and service orchestration aligned with ETSI standards.
• The integration into the testbed of multidomain QKD network digital twins, using technologies such as Quditto to emulate advanced scenarios and evaluate risks such as eavesdropping.
• The deployment of a hybrid testing infrastructure, combining commercial QKD and PQC devices with emulated modules and PUFs, enabling the joint validation of quantum and post-quantum solutions.

Various research groups from IMDEA Networks and Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M) have actively participated in the MadQuantum-CM project, contributing significant scientific and technological results. The achievements of the project were presented in the event by its leader, UPM professor Vicente Martín.

Additionally, during the event, IMDEA Networks also presented part of its scientific progress through two posters prepared by researchers Ángela Díaz Bricio and Blanca López, who showed results related to quantum networks and their applications. UC3M professors Francisco Varela and Iván Vidal also took part in the technical sessions and contributed to discussions on the development of quantum infrastructures in Spain.

“NEXTONIC is committed to becoming a key enabler in the development of future communication networks such as 6G and quantum communications networks,” said Carlos Bernados, vice-chairman of NEXTONIC, full professor at UC3M and part-time research professor at IMDEA Networks. “The testbed that IMDEA Networks and UC3M have designed, developed, and deployed at the NEXTONIC laboratory within the framework of MadQuabrum-CM project represents a significant milestone in this direction. This state-of-the-art infrastructure reinforces our commitment to positioning NEXTONIC as a leading benchmark and reference hub for quantum-ready communication systems.”

The joint participation of NEXTONIC, IMDEA Networks, and UC3M in the Complementary Quantum Communications Plan reinforces the role of the Community of Madrid as one of the main innovation hubs in quantum technologies in Spain. The consolidation of infrastructures such as MadQCI and the NEXTONIC QCI testbed will help drive new scientific and technological capabilities to enable future collaborations and contribute to the deployment of the Spanish quantum network and its integration with European initiatives.