With the grant of DKK 1.5 billion, Danish researchers and engineers are to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer over the next 12 years.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation has set an ambitious goal: Denmark is to develop its very own quantum computer.She worked as a professor of physics and is today Senior Vice President for Natural & Technical Sciences at the wealthy Novo Nordisk Foundation, where she has been at the forefront of the new quantum mission.In recent years, there have been big advancements in quantum computing. It is a race primarily driven by tech giants such as Amazon, Google, IBM, and others.
A higher number of qubits is not enough in itself; they must also be of a good quality, so that their quantum properties are not affected and, in the worst case, completely destroyed by the environment in the form of noise. This is far from the case today. It is the largest grant ever within natural sciences and engineering in Denmark. It is expected that the project will run for another five years, which will also be financed by the foundation. And it is only after the full 12 years that the quantum computer in all its glory is expected to be ready.
Professor Peter Krogstrup from the Niels Bohr Institute will be at the head of the programme. He tells us more about the technical challenges inHardware alone will not cut it. A quantum computer makes use of special algorithms—quantum algorithms—to solve problems, and they cannot be compared to the algorithms that run on conventional computers.There is already a large number of quantum algorithms that can run on future quantum computers.
This strategy is expected to be published as soon as possible and before the Finance Act 2023 negotiations.