Quantum^BW launches trans­fer booster: State funds eleven appli­ca­tion demon­stra­tors for quantum technology

As part of the QuantumBW innova­tion campus, the state of Baden-Württemberg is launch­ing a new funding line called “Trans­fer Booster for Quantum Technol­ogy Demon­stra­tors.” The Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism are provid­ing €4.2 million in funding to support the devel­op­ment of demon­stra­tors in the field of quantum sensor technol­ogy and quantum communication.

The funded project teams develop quantum-based feasi­bil­ity concepts, proto­types, and demon­stra­tors within twelve months and test them together with partners in the field. The focus is on identi­fy­ing fields of appli­ca­tion, products, and markets at an early stage, thereby accel­er­at­ing the trans­fer to indus­try and society. The projects are funded by the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg with 4.2 million euros.

Bring­ing quantum technolo­gies into application

The range of the eleven selected projects demon­strates the poten­tial of quantum technolo­gies for key future fields: it extends from quantum sensors for cancer diagnos­tics and real-time analy­sis of tumor tissue to quantum-secure commu­ni­ca­tion solutions, non-destructive testing of materi­als in construc­tion, contact­less flow measure­ment in indus­trial plants, analy­sis of battery cells, and satellite-independent navigation.

The acade­mic partners in the projects are the Karlsruhe Insti­tute of Technol­ogy (KIT), the Univer­si­ties of Stuttgart, Ulm, and Heidel­berg, and the Univer­sity Medical Center Freiburg. Together with non-university research institutions—including the Hahn-Schickard Society for Applied Research, the Fraunhofer Insti­tute for Physi­cal Measure­ment Techniques (IPM), the Fraunhofer Insti­tute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), the Fraunhofer Insti­tute for Mechan­ics of Materi­als (IWM), the Insti­tute for Micro­elec­tron­ics Stuttgart (IMS CHIPS), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with its Insti­tutes of Techni­cal Thermo­dy­nam­ics and Quantum Technolo­gies – and other partners from indus­try, they are working in inter­dis­ci­pli­nary teams to trans­form new quantum technolo­gies into marketable solutions.

The quantum ecosys­tem in THE LÄND

“Baden-Württemberg is a leader in quantum science: our Quantum^BW innova­tion campus brings together the exper­tise of state univer­si­ties, non-university research insti­tu­tions, and compa­nies. The new funding line ‘Trans­fer Booster for Quantum Technol­ogy Demon­stra­tors’ ensures that promis­ing research results make their way from the labora­tory into practi­cal appli­ca­tion. In the future, people and the economy in the state will benefit from such quantum-based innova­tions in medicine, environ­men­tal analy­sis, and materi­als testing,“ said Science Minis­ter Petra Olschowski.

Econom­ics Minis­ter Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut adds: ”Quantum technolo­gies are the engine and key to the techno­log­i­cal future. Those who exploit their economic poten­tial early on can shape new markets and create sustain­able value. With targeted incen­tives, we are support­ing the trans­for­ma­tion of excel­lent research and devel­op­ment into innova­tion, economic strength, and competitiveness.”

As the state’s innova­tion campus, Quantum^BW connects univer­si­ties, research insti­tu­tions, high-tech compa­nies, and start-ups, creat­ing an open ecosys­tem for the devel­op­ment and appli­ca­tion of quantum technolo­gies. With the new funding line, the state is using Quantum^BW to specif­i­cally strengthen the trans­fer and further expand Baden-Württemberg’s position as a leading high-tech and quantum technol­ogy location. The first results of the funded appli­ca­tion demon­stra­tors will be presented at Quantum^BW events and discussed with partners from science and industry.