QUantum computing for Excellence in Science and Technology

Objective

"The project Quantum Computing for Excellence in Science and Technology (QUEST) will create a research group in Quantum Computing (QC) at the Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center (CaSToRC) of The Cyprus Institute (CyI) under the leadership of the ERA chair Dr. Karl Jansen of the German Electron-Synchrotron (DESY), who is also the leader of the Center for Quantum Technology Applications (CQTA) at DESY. The ERA chair holder will establish a Quantum Computing Hub as a collaborative platform for exploiting QC for applications in science and technology in partnership with CQTA. He will recruit and mentor a senior researcher to lead the team beyond the project end, offer training and education for a new generation of scientists and engineers, and pursue collaborations with other local research teams and internationally, securing further funding for sustainable development.

QUEST responds to the rapid developments that demonstrate the potential of QC for breakthroughs in science and technology and the lack of leadership and critical mass of researchers in Cyprus in this field. The project aims to make Cyprus ""quantum ready"", closing the gap that currently exists with advanced EU countries due to the absence of expertise and infrastructure in QC, thus aligning with the objectives of the widening program in general and the ERA chair action in particular. The objectives of QUEST also align and are made feasible by the role of CaSToRC as the national high-performance center of Cyprus, namely by the mission of the center to carry out computation-based interdisciplinary research, and spread knowledge and provide support to local researchers in using computing technologies for research and innovation. QUEST will allow Cyprus to take advantage of opportunities in QC at the European level, such as by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the quantum technologies flagship program, which are presently not being fully exploited."