Patero & Orilla launch quantum-safe industrial AI platform

Patero and Orilla have partnered to offer a platform for securing industrial AI systems at the edge. The tie-up combines edge AI software with post-quantum secure communications for industrial operations.

The joint offering targets businesses deploying AI in factories, utilities, logistics networks, energy sites and other remote operational settings where data is generated outside traditional data centres.

Industrial groups have increasingly moved AI workloads closer to operational assets, allowing them to process data near machines, equipment and field sites. That shift has raised concerns over protecting data flows, remote access and long-lived infrastructure from current cyber attacks and future threats linked to quantum computing.

The partners describe the product as an "Edge-to-Anything" platform. In practice, it supports connections between edge sites, from edge sites to cloud systems, and from remote operators and contractors into industrial environments.

Patero focuses on post-quantum encryption and secure communications, while Orilla develops software for industrial AI and data operations at the edge. Together, they are targeting a market where operators want to roll out AI tools without creating new security risks across distributed networks.

The announcement reflects a broader shift in industrial technology spending. Operators in sectors such as oil and gas, ports, manufacturing and utilities are under pressure to automate decisions and analyse data closer to where assets are running, while facing tighter scrutiny over the security of operational technology and sensitive industrial data.

Security gap

The companies argue that cyber protections have not kept pace with the speed of AI adoption in field and plant environments. They point in particular to the long lifespan of industrial systems, which can remain in service for 15 to 30 years, creating a challenge for encryption methods that may become obsolete during that period.

The issue has become more prominent as governments and critical infrastructure operators prepare for post-quantum migration. Security specialists have warned that advances in quantum computing could eventually render some current encryption standards ineffective, exposing data intercepted today and stored for later decryption.

The platform is intended to address those concerns through quantum-resistant protections and what the companies describe as crypto-agile security. They also say it can replace legacy virtual private networks with session-based secure tunnels, although commercial terms were not disclosed.

The partnership enters a market drawing attention from industrial software suppliers, telecoms groups and cyber security vendors. As AI tools move into operational settings, the overlap between infrastructure management and cyber defence is becoming a more prominent area of investment.

Part of the demand comes from the spread of AI into sites with limited on-site IT support and complex connectivity needs. Another driver is the need to protect machine-to-machine communications and industrial data pipelines linking remote sites with enterprise systems and cloud-based analytics tools.

Peter Bentley, Chief Operating Officer at Patero, said the partnership was designed to address that problem directly.

"Industrial infrastructure is becoming intelligent-but without quantum-safe security, it also becomes vulnerable. This partnership ensures that AI-driven operations are not only powerful, but trusted for decades," Bentley said.

Industrial focus

Orilla's role in the partnership centres on software for deploying and managing AI in distributed industrial environments. Organisations are trying to operationalise AI across a growing range of edge locations rather than relying solely on centralised cloud infrastructure.

That trend is particularly relevant in industries where latency, bandwidth constraints or operational continuity make local processing more practical. It also means data often travels across a larger number of endpoints, connections and users, increasing the complexity of access control and encryption.

Lindi Sabloff, Chief Executive Officer of Orilla, said trust remained a barrier to industrial AI deployment.

"AI belongs at the edge. By integrating Patero's quantum-safe security, we are removing the biggest barrier to industrial AI adoption-trust in the data, the infrastructure, and the outcomes," Sabloff said.

The joint product is available immediately for pilot deployments, OEM relationships, integration partnerships, critical infrastructure projects and government programmes.

Patero is based in Maryland and develops quantum-secure communications products, including tools for discovering cryptographic assets and identifying vulnerabilities in existing systems. Orilla develops edge-native industrial software focused on edge management and industrial AI workloads.

The partnership underlines a broader effort by technology suppliers to link industrial AI rollouts more closely with cyber security planning, especially in sectors where infrastructure lifecycles are measured in decades rather than years.