Executive Summary
It’s increasingly evident that quantum technologies will play a significant scientific, economic and even societal role in the upcoming decades. French quantum scientists, business people and policymakers are going to play a key role in building this world changing technology. In this month’s French Quantum Report, we see some of those names. Quobly was in the news in August for their research and development work. Alice & Bob was similarly spotlighted. The nation’s researchers are investigating quantum science and building global research collaborations. August was exciting for the French quantum ecosystem – and the future looks bright for France’s quantum researchers and entrepreneurs.
Policy
French Government Supports Hackuity With R&D Funds
Hackuity, the risk-based vulnerability management provider announced it is one of five companies selected to receive support and R&D funding from a major initiative by the French Government.
France Mentioned as One of the Governments Preparing For And Mitigating the Quantum Threat
While there’s never been doubt about the importance of digital security, over the last few years it seems to have garnered a lot more attention – specifically by governments across the globe. That’s no surprise given some of the issues being looked at such as the growth of connected devices and services in the IoT space, for example. But one area that is seeing an increase in calls to action these days is mitigating the threat quantum computers will pose to traditional public key cryptography in use today.
Business
Quobly: Shaping the Future of Universal Quantum Computing Using Semiconductor Technology
Quobly was founded in late 2022 by Maud Vinet, Tristan Meunier, and Francois Perruchot to pursue that vision. It’s a spin-off from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives”) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) in Grenoble.
Startup Of The Week: Alice & Bob
Quantum computing taps into the unusual behavior of atomic and sub-atomic particles to perform far more complex calculations at a massively increased speed compared to today’s computers. Errors are the main barrier. Alice & Bob’s unique technology of self-correcting superconducting quantum bit, the cat qubit, promises a much simpler path to fault-tolerant and universal gate-based quantum computing. The company has already demonstrated experimental results surpassing those of technological giants like Google or Amazon.
French Quantum Startups Listed as Major Players in Developing Quantum Technologies
The European startup ecosystem’s decades-long innovation push has already produced widely known brands like Adyen, Klarna, Skype, Spotify, Supercell, Wise, Wolt, and Zalando. And thanks to a strong commitment to the green transition, common legislation, and easy movement of talent – as well as the tight link between startups and the research ecosystem – Europe has become home to promising deep tech upstarts. These companies are laying the foundations for new industries like quantum computing, new materials, and clean energy – and most importantly, these companies are purpose-driven.
Quantum Computing Standardisation— with Pasqal
Standardisation is something we take for granted in classical information technology. But when it comes to quantum computing, are we all speaking the same language? In addition to making neutral-atom quantum systems, Pasqal is trying to ensure all aspects of QIS will interoperate going forward. Standardisation has always helped businesses adopt new technologies because they are more consistent and reliable as a result.
Alice & Bob Announce Creation Of Quantum Consulting Group
Alice & Bob, a leading hardware developer in the race to fault-tolerant quantum computing, announced the launch of a consulting unit called The Box. Alice & Bob’s consulting team is dedicated to offering valuable insights into the status and potential of quantum computing, helping clients devise effective quantum strategies that focus on high-value applications, irrespective of platform.
Research
A Quantum Leap in Tech: Thales’ Chief Scientific Officer Speaks
The quantum era is on the horizon, promising to revolutionise industries from healthcare to defence with unparalleled computational power. Yet, the path to harnessing quantum technologies is filled with challenges that demand both innovation and collaboration. Thales, a company engaged in aerospace, defence, and security, is one of the entities actively investigating quantum technologies.
Quantum Algorithms Applied to Satellite Mission Planning for Earth Observation
France’s Thales Alenia Space took part in a research study with Terra Quantum to investigate the use of quantum algorithms to plan satellite missions for Earth observation. Serge Rainjonneau. a research and development engineer, Thales Alenia Space, was lead author of the study published in IEEE Xplore.
Indo-French Collaborative Study Can Stimulate Quantum Tech Applications
Researchers from RRI, and their collaborators from the Bose Institute and CY Cergy Paris University in France argued that this experiment provides an unambiguous empirical vindication of the otherwise puzzling counterintuitive quantum effect, called the Quantum Cheshire Cat (QCC) effect, which was predicted in 2013 by Yakir Aharonov et al.
Education and Events
Nanophotonics Summer School Draws Experts From Around The Globe
Forty-four PhD and Master students from Switzerland and Europe participated in a week-long summer school this summer to train on fundamentals and advanced research topics in the field of Nanophotonics. With the support of the Doctoral Program in Photonics (EDPO) and their advisors, five PhD students from EPFL and ETHZ organized the week of lectures by international experts and extended discussions about current scientific challenges and societal impact of nanophotonic technologies.
For more market insights, check out our latest quantum computing news here.
