Research projects by PhD Scholarship recipients
University of Southern Denmark
Jørgen Ellegaard Andersen, Matthias Oliver Wilhelm, Shan Shan, Du Pei, Fabian Haiden, Konstantin Wernli, William Elbæk Mistegård, Robin Kaarsgaard Sales
The main purpose of the proposed QC2B activity is to educate investors, leaders and mid-level management and developers/programmers within the industrial sector in quantum computing (QC) by producing a host of different educational material and to test this material at a number of different educational workshops on this topic. These workshops will be organized in collabora+on with Danish Industry (DI) and Danish Business Angels (DanBAN) and will be taught by top-level researchers in quantum mathematics and quantum computing. The workshops will be specifically tailored to relevant industry brackets and supported by online resources hosted at a project dedicated website. The online resources will be made permanently available and thus have a lasting positive impact on the level of quantum competence in the Danish industry. We consider this particularly important at this point in time, given the great possibilities which are expected to emerge in the coming years to the coming decade. The material and workshops will be offered in the following three tracks, each of which have their own target group:
- an investor track,
- an executive track, and
- a quantum somware track.
The executive and investor tracks will give a general helicopter introduction to quantum computing and an update on the current state of the art of quantum computing with a view towards policy making, investment opportunities and quantum computing roadmap development. The quantum somware track will introduce quantum computing as well as the currently existing online platforms for quantum somware and will be tailored towards programmers, somware developers and industry agents that will be implemen+ng quantum computing for industry use cases in the future. The online resources will both support the planned workshops and serve as planorms for self-study. These resources will be assembled on a website, continually validated and updated according to feedback from the workshops. They will feature the following:
- Detailed wripen crash courses on background material
- Interactive Jupyter notebooks
- Videos covering background material
- Step-by-step wripen and video guides for using quantum somware
- Abridged versions of the crash courses and videos
- Curated insights into the worldwide state of art of QC and its relation to the Danish QC ecosystem
In summary, this activity will educate industry about quantum computing via a host of developed material, tested at workshops organized by quantum mathematics and computing researchers and supported by online resources of lasting positive impact. Given the transformational promise of quantum computing over the coming years to the coming decade, the timeline for this initiative is optimal for enabling Danish industry to prepare them self to take maximal advantage of this coming quantum industrial revolution.
University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute
Mark Kamper Svendsen, Benjamin Joecker, Kim Splittorff, Jonatan Bohr Brask, Jonas Schou Neergaard-Nielsen, Jan Philip Solovej, Matthias Christandl, Albert H. Werner, Daniel Malz, Laura Mancinska
Vision: To establish systematic training for large-scale simulations of quantum systems.
Motivation: With the newly established national strategy for quantum technology, Denmark is centrally placed in the development of the next generation of quantum technologies and the commercialization thereof. The national strategy is complemented by large-scale investments from foundations and industry into the Danish quantum ecosystem. Denmark’s success in the international race for quantum advantage depends not only on these investments but equally on our ability to educate, retain, and attract talent. Along with the large quantum research centers established at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and at the Physics Department at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Physics), a joint MSc programme on ‘Quantum Information Science’ was launched in the summer of 2023. In both the research and the educational programmes, the focus thus far has been either on the development of quantum hardware or on the mathematics, algorithms and applications. However, a key aspect of the upcoming development of quantum computing is to establish a connection between these through simulations, that is, to link the hardware developments and the use cases through large-scale simulations of quantum systems. Recently, dedicated research units within this key area have also been established at UCPH and DTU Physics, and the necessary HPC and quantum computing (QC) hardware infrastructure is being established through DeiC and the Gefion project. Training in large-scale simulations of quantum systems is, however lacking. Without a continuous flow of trained talent capable of utilizing High- Performance Computing (HPC) and QC for large-scale simulations of quantum systems, the Danish quantum ecosystem will not be able to profit fully from these infrastructure investments.
Purpose/aim: With the funding from this call, we will create an educational bridge between quantum hardware and quantum computing use cases by training students and professionals in largescale quantum simulations. The project is designed to engage students and professionals who may not resonate with traditional, pen-and-paper approaches to quantum physics. Instead, it emphasizes a computational approach that allows students to explore and simulate quantum systems using modern software tools. We will achieve this by creating a set of at least 8 educational modules teaching how to perform simulations of quantum devices and how to perform quantum simulations. These modules will be designed to not only enhance the understanding of quantum mechanics but also to prepare students for real-world challenges in the rapidly evolving industry of quantum technology. Different combinations of these modules can be deployed both as new courses for both students and industry participants, as well as to expand and improve existing quantum computing-related courses and activities. In the proposed project, we will employ the modules in several distinct educational contexts, which include a new MSc course (also open to advanced BSc students), summer hackathons, and training of industry professionals.
Aarhus University
Jacob Friis Sherson
The European Quantum Readiness Center (EQRC) is a strategic initiative under the European Quantum Flagship, dedicated to preparing European businesses, educational institutions, and public organizations for the quantum era. EQRC conducts research into the quantum ecosystem, and provides helpful resources on https://quantumready.eu. Research is uniquely driven by a background in the business/management research tradition at the Center for Hybrid Intelligence, Aarhus University. The material for the course comes directly from research conducted within the EQRC already and over the next two years, including industry interviews, quantitative job marketplace analysis, and educational skills analysis. The EQRC is emerging as one of the leading platforms for data and community driven insights around the growth of the European quantum ecosystem. A first effort towards generating courses for industry training began in the European project QTIndu. In this project, the EQRC will significantly expand on it for the Danish ecosystem, integrating key insights and resources to structure the training effectively. This course will consist of a series of modules on the following topics, allowing them to be mixed-and-matched to suit the needs of a variety of different companies. An outline of the modules is as follows:
- Strategic Quantum Readiness
- Debunking Quantum Myths: Emphasize clarifying the realistic capabilities and timelines of quantum technologies, helping participants distinguish hype from practical applications.
- Quantum Readiness Assessments: Introduce self-assessment tools like the European Quantum Readiness Index, which is under development, to evaluate each organization’s preparedness for quantum adoption. These assessments, taking the form of a series of “Quantum Readiness Questions”, help identify gaps and priorities in infrastructure, workforce skills, and technological needs.
- Workforce and Skills Development
- Core Competencies and Skills: Provide an overview of the competencies necessary for the quantum workforce, drawing from the European Competence Framework. Cover key areas such as quantum algorithms, hardware basics, and sector-specific applications relevant to industries like pharmaceuticals and finance .
- Interdisciplinary Skills: Highlight the need for blending domain expertise (e.g., in healthcare or financial services) with quantum knowledge. This approach prepares employees to contribute to quantum projects effectively, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world applications.
- Quantum Computing Use Cases for Industry
- Relevant Applications for Danish Sectors: Tailor training modules to discuss potential applications of quantum technology in finance, pharmaceuticals, and supply chain management, showcasing current and emerging use cases within these sectors. For example, quantum’s potential to revolutionize drug discovery processes at companies like Novo Nordisk or to enhance secure financial transactions at firms like KPMG could be explored.
- Case Studies and Pilot Projects: Where possible, include case studies or pilot project results to provide concrete examples of how quantum solutions have been or could be applied in similar industries.
- Networking on the European level
- Participating in a European network: The EQRC is a leading organisation in the coordination of the European quantum flagship , and this module will focus on accessing European resources and industry connections, such as access to an international internship scheme and publicity through joining the EQRC accord program.