Competence Network "EIN Quantum NRW" launched
© Forschungszentrum Jülich / Sascha Kreklau
Further expanding national leadership in the research and development of quantum technologies, training specialists for this future field and developing applications for business and large-scale industry in the heart of Europe – these are the goals of the new quantum computing network “EIN Quantum NRW,” which pools the expertise of its partners. TU Dortmund University, member of the DWIH NY supporter organization “University Alliance Ruhr”, is on board as a university partner.
“We are proud that North Rhine-Westphalia is a European hotspot for quantum computing,” said Minister President Hendrik Wüst at the presentation of the network on Monday, 7 March. In collaboration with national and European partners, funds are set to be raised for outstanding projects and infrastructures. This can help boost the reputation of North Rhine-Westphalia as a hub for quantum technologies.
More than a dozen research institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia created the network in order to join forces with companies from the world of business. EIN Quantum NRW will be endowed with up to 20 million euros over an initial funding period of five years. What makes this network so special is that the research institutions will be contributing 7.5 million euros in anticipation of reaping added value through cooperation with the private sector itself – a firm commitment to the research and development location in NRW. The state government will be supporting this contribution with up to 12.5 million euros until 2026.
New answers to the great challenges of our time
Quantum technologies are set to change our everyday lives. Findings from quantum physics have already given way to countless technical achievements, with examples ranging from photovoltaic cells and laser and medical technology – such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – to state-of-the-art computers and the internet. Thanks to advances in the ability to control individual quantum particles, technological capabilities that had long seemed unthinkable are becoming an increasingly tangible reality. Quantum technologies seek to help provide new answers to the big questions and challenges of our time – such as the complex nature of climate change, environmental protection, better traffic flows or tap-proof communication through quantum encryption to reduce the risks of cyberattacks on critical infrastructures, for instance.
With its high density of universities and non-university research institutions, North Rhine-Westphalia is able to bring together competencies in these quantum 2.0 technologies in a unique way. EIN Quantum NRW – the EIN stands for Education, Innovation and Networking – combines the outstanding research and development carried out at over a dozen locations in the fields of quantum computing, quantum communication, enabling technologies, and the overarching topics of teaching, advanced training and technology transfer.
The network
The founding partners of the network come from all over NRW. They include the universities of Aachen, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Duisburg-Essen, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Münster, Paderborn, Siegen as well as the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Fraunhofer–Gesellschaft. The network is currently being coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich and the University of Siegen. An international board of member from science and industry will supervise the process for the medium term.