£6.2m laser communications lab opens at Adastral Park

Why it matters: The Quantum Optics Discovery (QOD) Lab is the first facility of its kind in the East of England, with the University of Suffolk set to offer PhD and postdoctoral research opportunities on site.

The details: At the heart of the lab is a simulator that can recreate weather conditions – including rain, fog and winds up to hurricane force – to test how laser signals perform in real-world scenarios.

The facility also includes an optical ground station that project leaders say can connect directly to two satellites currently in orbit, with data relayed back to Adastral Park and to a partner facility at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

For context: The project was funded by the UK Space Agency alongside a group of commercial and academic partners, and forms part of the Space East cluster – a regional network bringing together industry, academia and government to develop space and communications technology across the East of England.

What they're saying: Professor Darryl Newport, project lead and director of the Suffolk Sustainability Institute at the University of Suffolk, said: "The QOD Lab represents a significant opportunity for Suffolk and the East of England to play a vital role in the future testing, research and development of optical communications – technology which will play an increasingly important role in the secure transfer of data and information."

Dr Peter Bell, managing director of Adastral Park at BT, said: "Having already delivered the UK's first metro-scale quantum-secure network, this marks an exciting next step.

We can now begin developing and testing secure satellite-based quantum communications, including space-to-ground Quantum Key Distribution, a technology designed to keep communications safe from future cyber threats."

What's next: As well as academic research, the lab will be open to businesses under commercial agreements, offering firms the opportunity to test their own laser communications technology on site.

The bottom line: The QOD Lab, which officially opened on Thursday, 21 May 2026, gives Adastral Park and the wider region a foothold in an emerging and fast-growing field, bringing potential jobs, investment and research opportunities to Suffolk.

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