Case Study: A vision for quantum cyber security

The Objective

We are working with The Quantum Communications Hub to engage industry with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), an early stage technology which uses quantum physics to securely encrypt data.

The Hub wanted to showcase its achievements in Phase 1 of the UK Quantum Technologies Programme, and set the scene for Phase 2. It also wanted to go beyond a 'project report', and create a strategic piece of content which demonstrates the value of QKD to the economy, and sets out its vision for the UK to become a world leader.

A key goal was to communicate the opportunity to businesses that need to be involved in developing and using QKD.

An initial meeting with Tim Spiller, Director of the Hub, scoped out the structure of the report. This was supplemented by interviews with seven experts in academia, business, and startups, including Cambridge, The National Physical Laboratory, BT, Toshiba Research Europe, and KETS Quantum.

This insight was turned into a narrative, backed by real evidence of progress, which told the story of QKD in the UK, with clear calls to action for business.

The resulting report demonstrates achievements to government backers; and explains commercial opportunities to industries such as IT, electronics, finance, space, and defence. It makes a clear and accessible case for funding and collaborating in QKD.

Off the back of our research, we also developed one page ‘What’s in it for me’ materials calling on businesses in target sectors to share challenges and help shape the evolution of the technology.

Dissemination

The report and one pagers were launched at the UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase in November 2019.

The Hub already has links to players in quantum technologies, and these materials provide vital tools to engage this network. The report is hosted on the Hub website and promoted through social media and email channels to their network, and used at the industry engagement events the Hub regularly attends and runs.

Results

At the Showcase, the materials sparked many useful conversations with interested parties. They received positive feedback that they were useful in cutting through vast complexity and explaining the opportunities of QKD. The report garnered praise from quantum experts at Oxford University, BT and Toshiba, who were keen to use it as part of their own drive to promote QKD.

Georgia Mortzou, Quantum Communications Hub Project Manager, says:

“The Hub is turning scientific research into commercial applications. This naturally means we are more familiar with academic styles of communication, but we are aware that we need to communicate better with business.”

“Memetic did an excellent job of drawing out the expertise from our network, and articulating it in a way that was informative and inspiring to a business audience, whilst still having the rigour to be valuable and credible in the eyes of our academic partners. That is a very challenging thing to achieve. These materials will be hugely useful for us as we move into Phase 2, which will require much greater focus on industry engagement.”

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