French Consortium Unites Quantum Computer Manufacturers, End-Users And Interconnect Maker to Scale Quantum Computing through Algorithm Parallelization

Insider Brief

• Île-de-France Region invests €2 million in AQADOC project to advance quantum computing through algorithm parallelization with Welinq, EDF, Pasqal, and Quandela.
• Consortium combines quantum manufacturers, end-users, and interconnect maker to explore multi-core quantum computing for energy sector applications.
• Supported by GENCI, Teratec, and Lab Quantique, AQADOC addresses energy challenges and promotes quantum technology adoption in Paris Region.

PRESS RELEASE — Pack Quantique Île-de-France: a new project supported by the Ile-de-France region and its partners to federate the French quantum ecosystem and support the scaling-up of quantum computing around algorithm parallelization.

As part of the Pack Quantique (PAQ), initiated at the end of 2020, the Île-de-France Region (Paris Region) has decided to provide €2 million in support for the AQADOC project, led by Welinq, EDF, Pasqal and Quandela. This is the world’s first consortium to bring together quantum computer manufacturers, end-users and a quantum machine interconnect manufacturer to explore the benefits of parallelizing algorithms to enable the scaling-up of quantum computing.

In partnership with GENCI, Teratec and Lab Quantique, the Paris Region is strengthening its leadership in quantum technologies. This support brings to 13 the number of initiatives supported by the PAQ to promote the appropriation and development of quantum computing by industrial players and start-ups in the Paris Region. Within this framework, young innovative companies are receiving funding from the Île-de-France region to explore the potential of quantum technologies for use cases proposed by industry, which today exploit digital simulation codes that are particularly demanding in terms of computing power.

Like classical computing, which relies on computing centers, scaling up quantum computing will certainly require the parallel operation of several quantum computers. In this project, EDF is teaming up with start-up Welinq to anticipate the development of multi-core quantum computing, by applying it to energy production and management.

The AQADOC project will address new challenges linked to the energy transition that conventional supercomputers are unable to solve, by developing new algorithms adapted to critical applications in the energy sector: from battery ageing simulation to structural simulation problems, not forgetting the logistical issues linked to power plant maintenance.

“I’m delighted to see Welinq, EDF and so many players in the Ile-de-France region join forces around a common vision: scaling up quantum computers will come about by interconnecting quantum computers and pooling strengths and expertise. We are extremely grateful to the Ile-de-France region for its support of this unique initiative and its sustained efforts to create a strong, integrated regional ecosystem”, says Tom Darras, co-founder and CEO of Welinq.

“The development of quantum technologies and their integration into the HPC ecosystem has been on EDF’s radar for several years. The maturity of these technologies opens up new opportunities for our computing resources and the ability to solve problems while controlling energy consumption. The interconnection of quantum processors seems to us to be on the critical path towards the scaling-up of quantum computers. In this respect, the AQADOC project is of prime importance, given our objective of dealing with an industrial-scale problem as soon as possible”, says Cyril Baudry, Scientific Information System Architect/HPC group expert at EDF.

The project also involves the LIP6 laboratory (CNRS/Sorbonne University), with its expertise in quantum protocols and algorithms, and the Quandela and Pasqal companies, and will therefore include from the outset the specific features linked to the types of quantum processors developed by these two manufacturers (based respectively on photons and neutral atoms).

For the first time, the Region has also decided to fund a component concerning the necessary acculturation of the ecosystem: to enable the specific features of other technologies to be included as quickly as possible, and to accelerate the uptake of the algorithms developed, GENCI, Teratec and Lab Quantique are tasked with ensuring that the needs and specific features of as many industrial suppliers and users as possible are disseminated and taken into account.

The project was announced by the President of the Île-de-France Region at the Viva Technology show, in the presence of the main partners, on May 24.

“We’re aiming for sustainable European leadership in strategic and sovereign sectors, of which quantum computing is obviously one. Thanks to our academic excellence, our high concentration of researchers, and our start-ups that are future industrial champions, Paris Region is one of the world’s most competitive regions in this field. But we need to go further, capitalizing on our strengths that are the envy of the world, to structure a quantum industry: that’s why we’ve chosen to support AQADOC, which is tackling a major bottleneck in the scaling-up of quantum computing. The industrialization phases are critical for deeptech companies, and we will continue to support their development in the Paris Region”, declares Valérie Pécresse, President of the Paris Region.