Quantum Communication Breakthroughs Strengthen NZ Korea Innovation Ties
New Zealand and the Republic of Korea are joining forces to push the boundaries of quantum communication, with three cutting edge research projects that could transform digital security and establish the foundations for next generation communication networks. The collaboration reflects a shared ambition to accelerate scientific excellence, unlock commercial opportunities and reinforce international leadership in quantum technologies.
The initiative forms part of the New Zealand – Korea Joint Research Partnerships Programme, a triennial bilateral scheme designed to deepen cooperation in science, research and innovation. Administered in New Zealand by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the programme identifies strategic areas with long term commercial potential and supports researchers to build complementary skills and shared intellectual property.
Heather Penny, MBIE Manager Specialised Investments, explains the programme’s strategic ambition: The New Zealand – Korea Joint Research Partnerships Programme is a triennial funding programme that facilitates bilateral science, research and innovation collaborations between New Zealand and Korean researchers.
Quantum communication was selected as the priority for the 2025 joint funding round based on its transformative economic potential and its relevance to cybersecurity. Ms Penny adds: Quantum communication was selected as the focus for our 2025 joint funding round as breakthroughs could lead to significant benefits for our people and economy, enabling safer online banking, secure health data sharing, and protection against cyber threats.
Strategic Importance of Quantum Security
As global digital infrastructure continues to expand, the demand for secure communications has never been higher. Traditional encryption systems, including those used for online banking, critical infrastructure and national defence, will eventually be vulnerable to attacks from quantum computers capable of solving complex mathematical problems faster than any classical system.
Quantum communication offers inherent security based on the laws of physics rather than mathematical difficulty. Quantum key distribution (QKD), for instance, allows two parties to exchange encryption keys in a way that immediately detects interception. If fully deployed, QKD could shield global finance, government systems, medical records and even consumer communications from advanced cyber threats.
International agencies including the European Union, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the ITU have recognised the urgency of transitioning to quantum safe security. China already operates the world’s longest quantum communication network between Beijing and Shanghai, while the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) aims to integrate secure quantum networks across 27 EU nations.
In this global environment, New Zealand and Korea’s collaboration positions both countries within a dynamic frontier that blends commercial opportunity with strategic resilience.
Coordination Through the Dodd Walls Centre
The call for research proposals was supported by the Dodd Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, a Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the University of Otago. The Centre is recognised internationally for its research in quantum optics and photonics and has collaborated extensively across Asia and Europe.
Frédérique Vanholsbeeck, Director of the Dodd Walls Centre, highlights the current technical challenge for secure quantum communication: Quantum communication offers a way to keep information secure, but right now there are challenges in encoding light particles (photons) with quantum information, sending them over long distances while retaining their quantum properties to enable quantum systems to talk to each other.
She notes the value of the tripartite research portfolio on both sides: These three projects, supported on the New Zealand side by the Catalyst Fund, aim to overcome some of these challenges and lay the foundation for next-generation quantum communication networks.
Project One: Quantum Repeaters for Long Distance Secure Networks
A central limitation in quantum communication lies in distance. Photons travelling through optical fibre gradually lose their quantum state, restricting quantum communication to relatively short spans unless repeaters are used. Unlike classical repeaters, which simply amplify signals, quantum repeaters must store and synchronise quantum states across different network nodes.
Researchers from the University of Otago and Korea’s Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) are developing quantum repeaters using rare earth quantum memories embedded in miniature photonic circuits.
The innovation could:
- Enable secure communication between cities and countries
- Provide network scalability for national or regional quantum infrastructure
- Lay the groundwork for modular quantum computing architectures
Rare earth quantum memories have already demonstrated promising coherence times and compatibility with integrated photonics. If successful, the research may allow quantum signals to travel hundreds of kilometres using existing fibre networks without compromising security.
Internationally, similar systems are being explored at institutions such as ETH Zurich, the University of Innsbruck and MIT, although device miniaturisation remains one of the most significant engineering hurdles. By embedding quantum memories directly onto photonic chips, the Otago-KAIST team hopes to deliver a scalable solution suitable for industrial deployment.
Project Two: Chip Based Quantum Light Sources for Affordable QKD
The second project links the University of Auckland with KAIST to create a compact quantum light source that replaces large laboratory grade optical systems with chip-scale devices. The research could lower the cost of QKD, simplify deployment and accelerate commercial adoption.
The capability would support secure communication for government agencies, defence networks, telecom operators, and eventually consumer digital services. If chip based quantum light sources become affordable, they could be integrated into data centres, satellite links, autonomous systems and secure cloud architectures.
The project is commercially significant because the future quantum security market is expected to be enormous. Recent analysis by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global quantum cryptography and QKD security market will reach more than USD 10 billion by 2030. Demand is expected to come initially from critical infrastructure, national security, and banking, before gradually expanding into enterprise and consumer digital services.
New Zealand’s integrated photonics research community has already created a pipeline of commercial spin outs, ranging from quantum sensing to wavelength conversion technologies. By collaborating with KAIST, which is recognised for advanced semiconductor fabrication and engineering, the partnership strengthens global leadership in integrated quantum photonics.
Project Three: Hybrid Interfaces Connecting Microwave and Optical Quantum Systems
The third collaboration involves the University of Otago and Korea’s Kyung Hee University, and focuses on the development of hybrid interfaces capable of converting quantum information between microwave signals and optical photons. Such interconnects are essential for linking superconducting quantum computers, which operate using microwave frequencies, with long distance quantum communication systems, which rely on light.
The team will use surface acoustic waves and optical resonators to mediate signal conversion with minimal decoherence. If successful, the interface will support seamless signal transfer across distributed quantum networks.
This work has relevance not just for secure communication, but for hybrid quantum architectures, distributed quantum data processing and advanced sensing. Multi modal networks are widely seen as a necessary stepping stone toward large scale quantum computing.
Internationally, groups including IBM, the University of Chicago and NTT are actively researching quantum frequency conversion. A robust microwave to optical interface is considered a key enabling technology for future cloud based quantum computing.
Strengthening National Innovation and Future Commercialisation
New Zealand and Korea both recognise that quantum capabilities are now strategic economic assets. Quantum safe communication will protect national infrastructure, financial services, energy grids and emergency systems. At the same time, a growing commercial ecosystem could support specialist photonic manufacturing, semiconductor engineering, cyber security services and cloud based quantum applications.
Ms Penny says the collaboration reinforces a shared commitment to long term capability: This partnership combines New Zealand’s expertise in quantum technologies and photonics with Korea’s world-class engineering and highly complementary expertise. It highlights the value we gain by working with likeminded international partners.
Looking ahead, a successful research phase could:
- Support commercial licensing or spin out ventures
- Attract international investment
- Enable specialist export manufacturing opportunities
- Contribute to quantum safe national cybersecurity standards
As global quantum competition accelerates, the collaboration strengthens skills, facilities and intellectual property across both nations.
A Foundation for Future Secure Digital Infrastructure
Quantum communication remains one of the most technically complex areas of modern science, yet the potential rewards are profound. Long distance secure quantum communication could underpin international trade, cloud platforms, autonomous systems, high value defence assets and intergovernmental data exchange.
The partnership ensures New Zealand and Korea are well positioned to benefit from a rapidly expanding global market, while safeguarding their digital futures and supporting a new era of secure information technology.
