The state of Baden-Württemberg is funding the Competence Center »Quantum Computing Baden-Württemberg«

The state of Baden-Württemberg has announced that the Council of Ministers has approved funding to establish a Fraunhofer »Competence Center Quantum Computing Baden-Württemberg«. The state government plans to provide up to 40 million euros over the next four years. Fraunhofer IAF, together with the Fraunhofer IAO, will assume the coordinating leadership for the competence center.

Within the Competence Center, Baden-Württemberg will become the home state of the first IBM quantum computer in Germany, in order to use the existing high-tech landscape of large-scale industry, SMEs and start-ups for the application-oriented use of the high-performance computer. »For Baden-Württemberg, the quantum computer is an important step on the way to shaping the decisive future technologies early and successfully. The potential and the possibilities are enormous and much of it we cannot even imagine today. With the quantum computer in Ehningen, we are creating a contribution to a German quantum technology ecosystem with international appeal and a milestone for the technological sovereignty of Germany and Europe,« said Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann. The approval of the Finance Committee is to be obtained in April 2020, so that state funding can begin soon.

→ Read the press release of the land of Baden-Württemberg [in German only]

Coordination by Fraunhofer IAF and Fraunhofer IAO

Fraunhofer IAF will assume the coordinative leadership for the competence center together with Fraunhofer IAO. Fraunhofer IAF aims to contribute significant progress in the performance of qubits and quantum storage. The aim is to increase the achievable computing times of quantum computers and to reduce error rates by research and development of novel quantum hardware. In this context, Fraunhofer IAF will focus on the development of quantum hardware along its entire value chain, i.e. from the development of novel material structures and process technologies, characterization and quality assurance of quantum electronic devices to the investigation of novel packaging and assembly technologies and the demonstration of powerful quantum memories and processing devices.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in cooperation with IBM is building a national network of competence centers in the research field of quantum computing. For this purpose, IBM will provide a quantum computer (IBM Quantum System One) for research and development work at its location in Ehningen near Stuttgart from 2021 as a computing platform at the world's highest level of technology (based on a matrix of > 25 qubits). The location in Baden-Württemberg enables the operation of this IBM quantum computer under German legislation as the essential core of the overall initiative.

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