Quix lands €14M joint quantum project with German research center DLR

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has signed off on a 14-million-euro collaboration with Enschede-based Quix Quantum to develop a 64-qubit quantum computer based on integrated photonics. According to the Dutch startup, this represents the first-ever commercial sale of a photonics-based universal quantum computer. The funding is provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

The customized development of the device will be carried out in a joint four-year project in the framework of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative. To kickstart the collaboration, Quix will set up an office at the DLR Innovation Center in Ulm. Problems identified by DLR include post-quantum cryptography, quantum machine learning, planning optimization for satellite operations and simulation of chemical redox reactions for the development of battery systems.

“One of the things we expect from the cooperation is a systematic investigation and demonstration of the potential fields of application, especially in the numerous disciplines of DLR,” says Quix CEO Stefan Hengesbach.