On the way towards the first Bavarian quantum computer
FAU a founding partner of Munich Quantum Valley
Just one year after the Bavarian state government issued its declaration of intent, the founding document was signed ceremonially at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities to mark the formal establishment of the Munich Quantum Valley as a registered association. Supplementing the funding of 300 million euros from Bavaria’s Hightech Agenda, the initiative’s members have already raised federal funds totalling more than 80 million euros. FAU is one of the founding partners of the new network.
Registering as an association marks the formal establishment of the Munich Quantum Valley. In the presence of Bavaria’s Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, the Bavarian science minister Bernd Sibler and the Director General of the Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Dr. Sabine Jarothe, the founding document has now been signed at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities by the presidents of the partner universities and scientific organisations.
According to Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, ‘Quantum computing opens up a new world of research possibilities – this is the next generation of super computers. We are on the way to making Bavaria an international champion in the field. The Munich Quantum Valley provides an ideal networking opportunity for the best in the field; the best minds in the world should come to Bavaria to study and teach. With the Hightech Agenda Plus, we are investing a total of 3.5 billion euros to bring 13,000 new students and 1,000 professors to the universities. After all, technology is the future.’
According to Minister of Economics and Deputy Minister President Hubert Aiwanger, ‘Munich Quantum Valley is a unique network of science and business in Europe consisting of industrial partners, universities and application-oriented research. The first quantum computer ‘Made in Bavaria’ is to be built in the Munich Quantum Valley. Quantum computing is set to play a key role in research into new medicines and in improving logistics and materials research. With the Munich Quantum Valley, we have the opportunity to lay the foundation for a real quantum industry in Bavaria.’
According to science minister Bernd Sibler, ‘With the Munich Quantum Valley, we are pursuing a clear goal – to put Bavaria in the top position in Europe when it comes to research and the use of quantum science and technologies. In the Munich region, we already have an excellent level of scientific expertise in the field of quantum technologies. We are pooling this expertise into a powerful high-tech ecosystem of science and industry and enhancing it by bringing in knowledge from other parts of Bavaria.’
According to FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, ‘We are proud that FAU is a founding partner of this pioneering initiative. With the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and our new collaborative research centre Quantum Cooperativeness of Light and Matter, we have made a strong position for ourselves in quantum metrology, quantum communication and quantum computing, and the topic is one of the key focuses in our research agenda.
The only network of its kind in Europe
The main aim of the Munich Quantum Valley initiative is to set up a Centre for Quantum Computing and Quantum Technologies (ZQQ) over the next five years. This centre is intended to provide access to computers based on the three most promising quantum computing technologies currently available: superconducting, ionic, and atomic qubits.
The initiative also plans to establish a quantum technology park in order to pool research capacities and accelerate the transformation of scientific findings into marketable products. These activities will be supported by qualification and training opportunities as well as funding schemes for quantum technology start-ups.
The founding partners of the Munich Quantum Valley are Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) as well as the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Max Planck Society.
Whilst FAU is not based in Munich, it still has extensive expertise to offer the Bavarian initiative. The focus is predominantly on two research disciplines. Firstly, physics, where the focus will be on driving the integration of hardware and software solutions using co-design strategies and developing algorithms for material simulations using quantum computers. Secondly, the Department of Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Information Technology, where researchers will design specialised and highly sensitive integrated electronic switches for quantum computers that are suitable for use in a millikelvin temperature range.
Early successes provide support for the concept
So far, over 40 academic institutions, research institutes and businesses have joined together under the Munich Quantum Valley umbrella.
The scientific work has already begun.
There are more than 200 scientists working within eight research consortia, together covering all the skills necessary to build and operate quantum computers. Lighthouse projects are under way to include expertise from other regions in Bavaria and to broaden the scientific basis of the initiative.
Meanwhile the funding of 300 million euros from Bavaria’s Hightech Agenda has been supplemented by over 80 million euros from the funding programmes of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, obtained in the past year through joint applications by members of the initiative.
Further information:
FAU Press Office
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