Project MANTIS

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

The MANTIS research project steps in precisely where modern energy infrastructure is most vulnerable: in digital communication. Take gas control systems, for example — as key components of the energy supply, they are an attractive target for cyberattacks. With industrial control and monitoring systems (ICS/SCADA) becoming increasingly interconnected, the risks of tampering, data theft and system failures are on the rise. MANTIS therefore aims to provide long-term protection for critical infrastructure and to strengthen its digital resilience using modern quantum communication and quantum-secure encryption.

The focus is on developing a measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) – a form of quantum cryptography that enables the particularly secure generation of cryptographic keys for encrypted data transmission. Its resistance to hacking can be proven even for non-ideal measurement hardware, including, in extreme cases, hardware controlled by a potential attacker. This approach thus offers a practical alternative to traditional key distribution methods and their vulnerabilities to, for example, quantum computing-based attacks. The technology is being tested in real-world gas control systems to enable its seamless integration into existing energy infrastructures and to establish high safety standards over the long term.

As a result, energy and gas grid operators stand to reap tangible benefits: enhanced IT and network security, improved protection of sensitive control data, and a future-proof security architecture designed to withstand new threat scenarios — including those posed by quantum computers. MANTIS develops not only theoretical concepts but also practical demonstrators and use cases for industrial control networks.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF is coordinating the project, with a consortium that includes the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, the University of Münster and PSI Software SE. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

Fraunhofer IIS is contributing to the project by implementing the specific MDI-QKD protocol software and by providing a time-tagging solution tailored to the requirements of the setup at the relay site.

MANTIS is thus playing a key role in ensuring the technological sovereignty, security of supply, and the development of quantum-secure cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure in Germany and Europe.