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Quantum computing

Are we on the brink of a new age, a time prophesied only by our favourite sci-fi movies? It seems like it when even the greatest of our supercomputers might soon be seen as outdated. Quantum computing is set to be key technology for the future, and the Netherlands is a frontrunner in its development. We expect quantum computing to define the decades to come. Research into quantum technology has already made giant leaps in the past years. Because these computers work far more quickly than any of our existing computers and can handle massive amounts of information at once, they’re set to transform industry and society.
Silicon Quantum Electronics.
Silicon Quantum Electronics

Leaders in research and development

The question is not if this technology will have real-life applications, but rather when they will be implemented. It’s predicted that this type of data processing will first emerge in sectors such as banking and medicine. The Dutch well recognise the great promises and possibilities of quantum computing, and have been leaders in its research. 

The Dutch government has been encouraging this. In the past years, the Netherlands has invested approximately €610 million in quantum technology research and development. One outcome has been Quantum Delta NL, a national initiative connecting five major quantum hubs with top universities and research centres within a single digital ecosystem. 

Other collaborative quantum technology R&D projects exist too. QuTech in Delft unites Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and the TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) in their efforts to develop the first European quantum computer. They have launched Quantum inspire , Europe’s first public quantum computing platform, endeavouring to make the quantum computer accessible to everyone. 

In Eindhoven, a hot spot for quantum technology, similarly exciting projects are happening. As part of the Quantum Delta NL network, researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (e/TU) are building the first hybrid quantum computer, with an aim to deliver by 2024. Because quantum computing is expected to complement existing technologies, this computer combines both quantum and classical technologies. 

With so many developments in quantum technology underway, when you’re in the Netherlands, the future doesn’t seem so far away.