Federal government funds quantum-based clouds

Operational quantum computers do not yet exist. Nevertheless, the federal government is already investing in the technology to make it usable for German industry and startups.

Quantum computers are considered a key technology of the future. The German Federal Ministry of Economics has therefore now commissioned a consortium to develop quantum cloud solutions for German industry. As early as next year, access to quantum applications is to be made possible through this cloud. The project is scheduled to run for three years. Through the cloud access, the companies should already develop initial solutions for industrial applications. An exact funding amount is not known, but it is expected to be in the low to mid double-digit million range.

"We want to show companies what is already possible today with quantum computing," quotes the Handelsblatt QMWare CEO and co-founder, Markus Pflitsch. His Munich-based start-up was founded in 2019, already has high-performance computers in Vienna and is providing hardware and software for the project.

The project is being led by cloud specialist Ionos, a subsidiary of United Internet. The company is also providing its data centers. The University of Stuttgart and the Fraunhofer Institute Fokus are also involved.