QUANTUMatter 2024 begins

Donostia-San Sebastian is hosting one of Europe’s largest conferences in the field of quantum technologies. The event organised by the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), the Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), the Phantoms Foundation, and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is bringing together around 600 professionals.

The Basque Government’s Minister of Education, Jokin Bildarratz, presided over the opening ceremony of the Quantum Matter International Conference, QUANTUMatter 2024, one of the largest conferences in Europe devoted to quantum technologies. The ceremony was also attended by Ane Insausti, Deputy for Economic Development of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Pedro Miguel Echenique, President of the DIPC and Professor Emeritus of the UPV/EHU, Stephan Roche, ICREA researcher at the Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2) and Antonio Correia, President of the Phantoms Foundation.

The Kursaal Congress Centre in Donostia is hosting the fourth Quantum Matter International Conference, QUANTUMatter 2024, which aims to bring together the various communities involved in quantum information and quantum matter science and technology, two revolutionary components of information processing that are emerging as cornerstones for the discovery and application of paradigms in quantum computing and quantum technologies. The event, which brings together 600 professionals in this field, was made possible thanks to the combined efforts of the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), the Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), the Phantoms Foundation, and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

With a focus on the future, the fourth edition of this conference will serve to promote new ideas and collaborations at the forefront of quantum technologies, emerging materials and next generations of quantum communication, sensing and simulation protocols. The programme features sessions on a range of topics, roundtable discussions and almost an entire day devoted to presenting the latest advances in technological developments and business opportunities in the commercialisation of quantum computing at the Industrial Forum. There will also be a special session to showcase joint collaborative projects in quantum computing between Basque Quantum-BasQ and IBM.

The conference features a long list of high-profile speakers in the field, including: Ignacio Cirac from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics; Claudia Felser from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids; Artur Ekert from the University of Oxford; Jay M. Gambetta from IBM; Michelle Simmons from the University of South Wales; and Leo Kouwenhoven from the Delft University of Technology. They will all share their knowledge, insights and latest research at the event.

It is also worth highlighting the large number of exhibitors, totalling 26 this year, with the participation of the most important companies in the sector, including IBM-Quantum. The conference is also part of the Basque Government’s IKUR and BasQ strategies.

Quantum technologies have huge potential to disrupt established industrial sectors or create new industries, as demonstrated by the race towards quantum computers and the use of quantum technologies for secure communication, sensing and simulations of the quantum world.

According to the scientific director of the Basque Quantum – BasQ strategy, Javier Aizpurua, the Basque Country is emerging as a leader in research, talent generation and innovation in quantum technologies. “It’s no coincidence that Donostia/San Sebastian is hosting the Quantum Matter 2024 conference. We are getting ready to receive the sixth quantum supercomputer in the world to be deployed by IBM, the Quantum System One, and we hope that the Basque Country will become a key breeding ground for highly qualified professionals and a hub for international talent in these technologies”, remarked Aizpurua.

BasQ is an ambitious cross-cutting strategy, led by the Basque Government’s Department of Education, with the involvement of the three provincial councils. It aims to actively promote scientific discovery in various areas of quantum technologies, develop their practical applications and accelerate their use and commercialisation in various business sectors, foster new business opportunities and create social value.

The quantum technologies being developed around the world are expected to continue to flourish over the next decade and to play an increasingly important role in our daily lives.