Arqit Quantum Inc. (Arqit) and NEOM Tech and Digital Company (NEOM) have entered a MOU to build and trial the cognitive city quantum security system
The trial will see the two organisations develop new software capable of defending cognitive cities against cyber-attacks from the most advanced computers set to emerge in coming years.
Integrated AI
The quantum system will be built and tested at NEOM. NEOM is intended to be a cognitive city, a city built from the ground up, with AI woven into its fabric to monitor the city’s use in a wide range of areas and constantly improve citizens’ lives.
Pending a successful trial in NEOM during the first half of 2022, the system could be exported to other cognitive cities around the world, offering billions of residents a highly secure means to authenticate, identify and secure all forms of devices while fully guaranteeing their privacy.
Speed and security
Speaking on the MOU and the cognitive city, Arqit Founder and Chairman, David Williams, said, “For the world to progress, people and businesses across all parts of the economy must be able to make costless, instant transfers, and seamless transactions, as well as have instantaneous access to all their information, and control who uses it and when.
“However, technology cannot be trusted until the cyber security threats of today and tomorrow are fully addressed. That’s what Arqit has achieved with our new distributed ledger technology (DLT), Quantum Blockchain, designed to deliver financial payments and smart contracts in a way that is sustainable, energy-efficient and can manage instantaneous transactions at close to zero cost.
“NEOM is without doubt leading the world in the development of cognitive communities, and therefore the perfect launch partner for this technology”
Human and environmental strides
Mansoor Hanif, Executive Director of Emerging Technologies for NEOM’s Technology and Digital Company, said, “At NEOM, we strive to accelerate human progress every single day and we are excited to trial the world’s first quantum secure cognitive city system.
“While blockchain-based technologies are making rapid progress around the world, many solutions have a negative impact on the climate and are not ready for a quantum future. It is essential that NEOM’s infrastructure is both quantum safe and energy efficient.”
Arqit’s technology allows for processing cycles to be reduced by an estimated 99% compared with alternative, non-quantum safe encryption. The blockchain-based system is also extremely energy-efficient, all of which aligns with the NEOM’s aim to become a fully cognitive city.
NEOM recently announced a deal with Volocopter to create the world’s first public vertical mobility system.
