Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology (WACQT) is a 12 year SEK 1 billion research programme that aims to take Swedish research and industry to the forefront of quantum technology – a very rapidly expanding area of technology.
Through an extensive research programme, we aim at developing and securing Swedish expertise within the main areas of quantum technology: quantum computing and simulation, quantum communications and quantum sensing. Our main project is to develop a high-end quantum computer that can solve problems far beyond the reach of the best conventional supercomputers.
WACQT is directed and coordinated from Chalmers University of Technology, however several Swedish universities are involved: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, Stockholm University, Linköping University, and University of Gothenburg. The research areas quantum sensing and quantum communication are coordinated from Lund University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Stockholm University. WACQT also has several industrial partner companies, see Industrial collaboration.
Vision and strategy
A rich flow of ideas in an open environment increases both the scientific quality and relevance as well as shortens the time to utilisation of results.
Our vision is to build an open and interactive Swedish quantum technology community – an environment where people meet and where creativity and knowledge exchange is stimulated. Our main instruments to create this environment are:
- A graduate school – Swedish Graduate School in Quantum Technology – in which academic and industrial PhD students are offered common courses in quantum technology.
- A guest researcher program, where experts, both from academia and industry, are invited for shorter or longer period to interact with WACQT researchers and students.
- Industrial partnerships for the exchange of ideas and knowledge between academia and industry and to secure a long-term knowledge base in quantum technology.
Management group
WACQT is managed by a director together with a number of principal investigators (PIs), a senior advisor, a scientific coordinator and an administrative coordinator.
WACQT Board
The task of the board is to make strategic decisions that will steer WACQT in a successful direction. The board members all have extensive experience of leading and running large research or development initiatives, either in academia or in industry. Chairman is Professor Lena Gustafsson, former president of Umeå University.
Scientific Advisory Board
In the still largely unexplored realms of quantum technology, there are many complex issues and crucial decisions to be made, for example when building a quantum computer. In such situations, we expect to get extremely competent advice from the quantum experts in our Scientific Advisory Board, chaired by renowned Professor Steve Girvin from Yale University who also holds an honorary doctorate from Chalmers.
Industrial Advisory Board
Our Industrial Advisory Board comprises one member from each of our industrial partner companies. The purpose of the Industrial Advisory Board is to give strategic advice in questions related to industry as well as to increase the understanding between the management of the academic groups and the industrial research efforts.