Transinne : Inauguration of the IDELUX Cybersecurity Centre

A one-of-a-kind cybersecurity hub has opened in the heart of Wallonia. Its strength lies in the combination of two unique infrastructures within a single site: a cyber range with a crisis simulator, and a quantum cryptography laboratory. Developed by IDELUX with the support of the Walloon Government and inaugurated on Friday the 7th of February 2025, the centre provides Walloon economic players with new infrastructures intended to tackle cybersecurity challenges.

Alongside the European Space Agency’s Cybersecurity Centre in Redu and the Nexova Cyber Centre of Excellence in the Galaxia Business Park in Belgium, the addition of these two infrastructures forms a “cyber valley” with European ambitions.

CONTACTS :

Pierre-Yves DEFOSSE – Business Development Officer

Jean-François HAINAUX – Business Development Officer

Unique synergistic infrastructures in the heart of Wallonia!

The new IDELUX cybersecurity hub combines two cutting-edge infrastructures: a cyber range with a crisis simulator, and a quantum cryptography laboratory. These facilities allow for concrete and highly effective training in the field of cybersecurity. By simulating realistic attack-and-response scenarios, users can test their systems’ resilience and learn to anticipate cyber threats.

The Gilles BRASSARD Quantum Cryptography Laboratory offers a dedicated space for researchers, engineers, and experts to develop innovative solutions for securing digital communications through quantum physics concepts. IDELUX’s fundamental goal is to make this laboratory available to institutions and businesses eager to contribute to Europe’s quantum key distribution (QKD) protection initiative.

Decisive support from the Walloon Government

Through Action 140 of the Walloon Recovery Plan, the Walloon Government has provided financial support for the creation of this cybersecurity hub of excellence, based on three key pillars: institutional, educational, and industrial. Nearly €10 million has been invested to establish these essential cybersecurity infrastructures and to launch an international cybersecurity school.

IDELUX is responsible for coordinating and operationalising the hub, ensuring engagement from both economic and public sectors. The intermunicipal organisation plays a crucial role as a catalyst and integrator, maximising the return on public investment.

This significant investment reflects an ambitious vision to make Wallonia itself a leading hub for cybersecurity. By offering these infrastructures free of charge to public, economic, academic, and industrial actors, the centre aims to strengthen the region’s resilience against cyber threats.

Strong partnerships and strategic synergy with the European Space Agency

The close physical proximity between the ESA ESEC (European Space Agency’s European Space Security and Education Centre) in Redu and this new centre has made for an ecosystem of strategic importance. Established in Redu since 1968, the ESA is the third-largest space agency in the world, bringing together 22 member states. As the ESA’s 5th largest financial contributor, Belgium is among only six countries that boast an operational centre within their own territory. This exceptional presence can only serve to promote industrial development in the region.

Thanks to strong partnerships with leading technology firms such as Thales (for the quantum cryptography laboratory) and Nexova (for the cyber range and crisis simulator), the synergy of these operators within a single site attracts industrial players in the space and cybersecurity sectors, contributing to the growth of an already-dynamic ecosystem.

A critical cybersecurity hub for the future

The IDELUX cybersecurity hub addresses a critical need in the field of cybersecurity. Cyber risk is a real and ever-growing threat to all organisations. An effective response requires trained personnel, making it a top priority for both leaders in both the corporate and public sectors.

Moreover, scientific advancements – particularly in quantum cryptography applications – make it essential to prepare for a new generation of cyber attacks. Future quantum computers will immediately render current security protocols obsolete, exposing the most sensitive data of governments, institutions, businesses, and citizens alike.

The Gilles BRASSARD Quantum Cryptography Laboratory

The cybersecurity hub’s quantum cryptography laboratory is named after Professor Gilles BRASSARD, a pioneer in quantum cryptography alongside Charles BENNETT. His development of the BB84 protocol in collaboration with Charles Bennett (Bennett & Brassard, 1984) and his ground-breaking work on quantum teleportation theory have earned him some 20 global awards, including the Wolf Prize – the most prestigious physics award in the world.

It was therefore with great pride that the December 2024 edition of IDELUX’s Cyber School, funded by the Walloon Region, welcomed Professor Gilles BRASSARD for a lecture on cryptography.

The quantum cryptography laboratory that bears his name will integrate and deploy the BB84 protocol, ensuring unbreakable technological security for future applications.