The world’s leading experts in quantum technologies actively participated in the gathering, sharing the latest advances in constantly developing areas of science and technology
The Basque Country Minister of Education, Jokin Bildarratz, took part in the inauguration of the international Quantum Matter 2024 conference, at the Kursaal Palace in Donostia. This fourth edition of the meeting aims to bring together the various communities involved in the science and technologies of information and quantum matter.
One of the main goals of this international event, organised by the DIPC -Donostia International Physics Centre- is to promote the development of new ideas and collaborations at the forefront of quantum technologies, emerging quantum materials and new generations of quantum communication protocols, detection and quantum simulation.
This year, a total of 60 speakers and 25 exhibitors, including the world’s leading experts confirmed their participation. Amongst them are the following: Ignacio Cirac – Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Jay M. Gambetta – IBM, Amir Yacoby – Harvard University, Michelle Simmons – University of New South Wales (Australia), Leo Kouwenhoven – Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), Artur Ekert – The University of Oxford, and James S. Clarke – Intel.
Basque Quantum
Minister of Education, Jokin Bildarratz, was in charge of opening the session. During his speech Bildarratz emphasised the topic of the quantum technology disruption that is still hard to measure up to this day. The commitment to quantum research has become the spearhead of the Basque Government’s scientific policies for the coming years, based on the BasQ -Basque Quantum- Strategy. Led by the Department of Education, with the involvement of the Provincial Councils of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, and with the strategic participation of IBM, BasQ aims to position the Basque Country as the most advanced Quantum Technologies hub in Southern Europe. IBM’s new System One quantum computer, the world’s sixth in IBM’s network of quantum supercomputers, and which is currently in the works, will become a reality in the second half of 2025.
In this respect, it should be highlighted that the Basque Country has taken steps in research excellence; joint projects have been launched between the Basque Science Network and IBM Research. In terms of training, educational programmes are being developed for research personnel, industry, university education and vocational training, in which 80 Basque researchers have been trained in quantum computing.
