French National Quantum Update: June 2023
Executive Summary
Quantum researchers and entrepreneurs have demonstrated their global leadership in several key areas during June. France Quantum 2023 was a showcase of quantum technology talent in the country. The event centered on how French scientists and entrepreneurs are moving quantum from the lab into real life – and this message echoed internationally. Other French-based companies are establishing international collaborations. Quantonation, an early quantum technology venture capital firm, reported it established a partnership in a project to build a quantum tech ecosystem in Quebec, Canada. PASQAL, neutral atom quantum computing company, announced the creation of a factory to produce state-of-the-art quantum processing devices in the same Canadian ecosystem.These are just a few examples of how “French quantum leadership” is fast becoming “global quantum leadership based in France”.
Policy
General Secretariat for Investment Promotes Post-Quantum Cryptography
The General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), under the authority of the French Prime Minister, has awarded HENSOLDT France SAS a contract for a post-quantum cryptography project. The contact comes from within the framework of the France 2030 national quantum strategy.
France to Host EuroHPC’s Second Exascale Supercomputer
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU) has announced the hosts and operators of Europe’s second exascale system: the Jules Verne consortium, consisting of France, represented by GENCI (Grand Equipement National de Calcul Intensif) and CEA (the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), and the Netherlands, represented by Dutch national supercomputing center SURF. The supercomputer is expected to be deployed by the end of 2025.
Six Quantum Startups Out of 125 Companies Have Been Selected to Participate in Tech 2030 Program
Quantum startups are well represented in The French Tech 2030 program. The support program combines the ambition of the France 2030 plan, led by the General Secretariat for Investment, with the assistance of the French Tech Mission and the expertise of Bpifrance. Out of the 125 emerging innovation players, selected based on the 10 objectives and 6 verticals of France 2030, the first cohort, announced on June 14, 2023, will receive financial and non-financial support for one year.
Business
Quandela Opens New Factory
French start-up Quandela transitions from the laboratory to production by opening a factory in Massy for its photonic quantum computer, aiming to deliver three machines every six months, which will be sold directly or used for its quantum platform on the cloud.
Kipu Quantum Signs Research Collaboration Deal With PASQAL to Optimize Quantum Algorithms
Kipu Quantum GMBH announced a two-year research and development agreement with PASQAL, a leader in neutral atoms quantum computing, to optimize quantum algorithmic function and expedite quantum benefits for enterprise.
DistriQ – Quantum Innovation Zone Announces Partnerships With Quantonation Ventures
DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, announced that it is partnering with French quantum venture capital pioneer Quantonation Ventures.
OVHcloud, the European Cloud leader, announces the immediate availability of a new emulator, accessible through a notebook, aimed at facilitating quantum computing. In time for the France Quantum 2023 event taking place today at Station F, OVHcloud confirms its commitment towards innovation and quantum computing giving access to French startup C12 quantum emulator named Callisto. In development for months, this emulator will make sure developers access all the physics phenomena occurring in future C12 quantum processor thanks to a faithful and accurate emulator. Built out of carbon nanotubes, C12 quantum machines are designed to provide the highest compute accuracy perfectly mimicked by this emulator.
The first enterprise in France to join the IBM Quantum Network, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, its technology subsidiary Euro-Information, and IBM today announced their continued investment in quantum computing. After a successful initial phase, the organizations have identified specific use cases, among many areas of interest in financial services, for the collaboration’s next “scaling” phase, including: research into customer experience, fraud management and risk management. This phase also intends to explore possibilities for how quantum computing could lead to future improvements in Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale’s customer and employee experience.
PASQAL Will Open a Quantum Computer Factory in Canada
PASQAL, the world leader in quantum computing based on neutral atoms, announces the creation of a factory to produce state-of-the-art quantum processing devices at Espace Quantique 1 of DistriQ – Quantum Innovation Zone in Sherbrooke, Canada.
DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, is proud to announce the creation of the Quantum Studio and its partnership with Quantonation Ventures and ACET (Accélérateur de Création d’Entreprises Technologiques).
Research
Bank of International Settlements Reports on Quantum-Proofing Experiment
The Bank of International Settles reported on Project Leap, which included the Bank of France. The joint experiment by the BIS Innovation Hub Eurosystem Centre, the Bank of France and Deutsche Bundesbank aims at quantum proofing the financial system.
Quandela Co-Founder Receives National Order of Merit
Minister Jean-Noël Barrot presented the insignia of the National Order of Merit to Pascale Senellart at a recent ceremony. Professor Senellart is a French physicist who is a senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and professor at the École Polytechnique, as well as a co-founder and chief science officer for Quandela, a photonic quantum computing company based in France.
UChicago, French Science Agency Launch Partnership to Tackle World Problems
The University of Chicago and France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique have launched a broad and ambitious partnership to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. UChicago and CNRS researchers and administrators met for a series of planning meetings for three days on the UChicago campus and at Argonne National Laboratory. Through these intense discussions, faculty leads generated ideas for collaboration in the IRC Discovery’s three initial academic pillars: humanities and social sciences, biology, and quantum science and technology.
Education and Events
France Quantum Notches Successful 2023 Event
France Quantum 2023 received rave reviews online and on social media channels, including LinkedIn. Co-founded by OVHcloud, France Quantum aims to create a strong French ecosystem around quantum with the mission to bring together and highlight the main players in the sector to create the champions of tomorrow. The event was a showcase of French research and entrepreneurship in quantum, according to attendees.
France Hybrid Quantum HPC Initiative Held
The face-to-face France Hybrid Quantum HPC Initiative Workshop was held at Maison de la Simulation June the 8th. The hybrid quantum/HPC project is an innovative and unique initiative, which will allow French and European academic and industrial researchers to evaluate the potential of quantum computing for their applications free of charge on a public infrastructure. It also aims to develop international collaborations to promote open research.
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Topics
Matt Swayne
With a several-decades long background in journalism and communications, Matt Swayne has worked as a science communicator for an R1 university for more than 12 years, specializing in translating high tech and deep tech for the general audience. He has served as a writer, editor and analyst at The Quantum Insider since its inception. In addition to his service as a science communicator, Matt also develops courses to improve the media and communications skills of scientists and has taught courses.
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MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE
Quantonation
Quantonation is an Early Stage Venture Fund dedicated to Deep Physics startups with a focus on the emerging and disruptive field of Quantum Technologies.
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PASQAL
PASQAL’s quantum computers control neutral atoms with optical tweezers using lasers to manipulate quantum registers with up to a few hundred qubits. Location in Boston MA.
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EuroHPC Joint Undertaking
The European High-Perfomance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) is pooling European resources and efforts to to develop a World Class exascale supercomputing Ecosystem in Europe.
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GENCI
GENCI (Grand équipement national de calcul intensif) is a French public organization that coordinates and funds the major high-performance computing (HPC) centers in France. It is a civil society owned 49% by the French state, 20% by the Commissariat energie atomique, 20% by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), 10% by universities, and 1% by the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control. GENCI aims to democratize the use of digital simulation, high-performance computing, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing to support French scientific and industrial competitiveness. GENCI collaborates with the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE) to coordinate HPC resources and access across Europe. GENCI’s role is to implement the national strategy for equipping in HPC and storage resources, while servicing the three national computing centres (TGCC for CEA, IDRIS for CNRS and CINES for French Universities).
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Quandela
Quandela is a French startup that specializes in photonic quantum computing by providing modular, scalable, and energy-efficient photonic quantum computers, accessible both on the cloud and on premise. They provide prototyping services with their Perceval simulator alongside their general purpose chips optimized chips, and development of algorithms and protocols which provide photonic solutions for applications ranging from pharmaceutical and material design, to quantum machine learning, networking and optimization.
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OVHcloud
OVHcloud is a French cloud computing company and the largest European cloud provider, offering a comprehensive suite of public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions, bare metal servers, and web hosting services. Founded in 1999, it plays an essential role in the space economy by partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to host massive Earth observation and satellite data platforms, such as the Copernicus long term archiving service and the Digital EO system, which aggregates storage, computing power, and AI tools for space research.
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C12 Quantum Electronics
C12QE uses carbon nanotubes as the fundamental building blocks for a scalable quantum computer.
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IBM
IBM is an iconic technology pioneer founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company and officially renamed International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. Beyond foundational computing, IBM possesses a deep legacy in aerospace and defense from building the guidance computers and Instrument Unit for NASA's historic Apollo missions to partnering with Airbus on CIMON, the first AI assistant on the ISS.
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