French National Quantum Update: July 2023
Executive Summary
Now moving into the second half of 2023, we expect the pace of quantum to quicken – both in terms of financial backing, as well as research efforts. July saw the first hint of that sprint for the French quantum ecosystem. To spotlight a few examples: Quobly, which was formerly named Siquance, earned €19 Million in funding from its investors. Quobly’s roadmap includes a fault-tolerant quantum processor. On the research front, Alice & Bob published two important papers on its cat qubit design. Below we spotlight just some of the important pieces of news from France’s quantum ecosystem.
Policy
Podcast with Neil Abroug, Head of the French Quantum Strategy
Neil Abroug, head of the French Quantum Strategy, is interviewed on a podcast by Yuval Boger. Neil and Yuval discuss the focus on this national strategy, how it differs from other European programs, how US companies can participate in the ecosystem, his view of workforce development, and much more.
‘Horizon 2047’ Outlines Cooperation Between France and India on Technology, Including Quantum Tech
Based on the Indo-French Road map on Cyber security and Digital Technology adopted in 2019, India and France are pursuing an ambitious bilateral cooperation on advanced digital technologies, particularly in the fields of supercomputing, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, including in the framework of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPIA). They will also strengthen their cooperation on R&D, innovation and the industrial applications of critical digital technologies while also focusing on the deployment of these technologies to address issues related to climate change and health.
Business
Quobly Secures €19 Million in Funding to Propel Development of Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer
Quobly, formerly known as Siquance, a company developing a fault-tolerant quantum computing processor, announces the closing of its first fundraising round amounting to 19 million euros.
Eviden, Alice & Bob Partner to Make Cat Qubit Technology Accessible
Eviden, an Atos business, and Alice & Bob announced a partnership to make Alice & Bob patented cat qubit technology accessible to end users in QaptivaTM, Eviden’s quantum application development platform.
European High-Performance Joint Undertaking Names France As One of Its New Quantum Computer Hosts
Quantum research has become a global effort, with the United States leading and China close behind. In Europe, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden are making sizable investments in quantum research. The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has also announced hosting agreements for six new European quantum computers in Italy, Poland, Spain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Pasqal Makes Sifted’s Startup List
French quantum computing company Pasqal was named to Sifted’s list of fastest growing French startups.
Research
A French-led team of researchers examined the influence of feature engineering on classification accuracy and found that quantum kernel methods achieved similar performance to classical methods, with certain advantages observed in various configurations.
Quantum Computing Startup Unveils ‘Cat Qubit’ Design Advances
French quantum computing startup Alice & Bob has announced the results of research that demonstrates design advances for its superconducting “cat qubit”.
Education and Events
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Quantum but Were Afraid to Ask
This conference provided a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating world of quantum science and technology and comprised insights into the promising applications and the immense potential for quantum technologies to shape the future of our society.
France Quantum 2023 Replays Available
France Quantum 2023 was a big success. Now, the organization has made replays of the event’s speakers and sessions available. The replays will help attendees relive the conference and focus on information they may have missed.