SpeQtral
Founded in Singapore in 2017 by Lum Chune Yang and Robert Bedington, SpeQtral is a quantum tech startup that is developing space-based quantum systems for the global delivery of secure encryption keys.
Conducted in November 2022 at Fusionopolis, Singapore, Co-founder and CEO of Speqtral Lum Chune Yang was interviewed by Jane Lo, a cyber specialist and owner of the YouTube channel “miss cyberpenny”
Background
Lum Chune Yang was previously Head of Strategic Development at CQT (Centre for Quantum Technologies) with a concurrent appointment as Deputy Director, Industry Engagement and Partnerships at NUS (National University of Singapore), where he was responsible for engagements with industry and government stakeholders in commercializing technologies.
Prior to that, he was responsible for business development at SES, a global satellite operator, working with both government and commercial customers on telecommunication satellite programmes. He also spent time in China and the US as a management consultant with ZS Associates, advising MNCs on a variety of strategy, M&A and marketing topics.
He had an academic background in quantum and physics research during his early career. Chune Yang holds an MBA from INSEAD, an MSc in Physics from the Pennsylvania State University, and a BSc (Hons) in Physics from NUS
In the interview, Chune Yang shared with the audience on the launch of Southeast Asia’s first Quantum Networks Experience Centre (QNEX) and the recent trial toward setting up Quantum-Secure Networks using quantum-enabled encryptors and Quantum Key Distribution (“QKD”) system.
Quantum Future
He explained that “what we have today in our cell phones, the semiconductor chips, the lasers we use — all use quantum phenomena.” Quantum 2.0 or the “quantum future”, is the ability to manipulate and control each quantum, such as a photon — a single particle of light, or an atom, which leads to the implications such as quantum computers and quantum communications.
Noting that “one thing that quantum computer can do, is that it will break most of the encryption that we have today”, he pointed to an emerging “store and decrypt later” threat — where threat actors wiretap and store data in some data centre — to decrypt later when they want to hack into the communication.
“QKD by embedding the secret key in particles of light and transmitting it across to the end users”, said Chune Yang, “will help to secure and encrypt any communication or data that we transmit to each other.”
He also shared how QKD will be extended beyond the terrestrial implementation to space using satellites to address photon degradation challenges.
Chune Yang also stressed that we are early on the evolution of the “quantum future”, which includes quantum internet and quantum networks — concepts that are much richer than secure encryption.
For the full interview, watch here: https://youtu.be/siYLnWVYpNE
Featured image: Credit: miss cyberpenny by Jane Lo
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