International Day of Quantum
As we celebrate World Quantum Day on April 14th, the global quantum community is marking unprecedented progress and possibilities. World Quantum Day has grown from a grassroots initiative to a global phenomenon, with events spanning educational outreach, industry showcases, and research announcements around the world. This international day of recognition symbolizes how quantum technologies have moved from specialized academic fields to mainstream technological discourse.
After 100 years of the advancement of quantum, the designation of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology reflects the maturation and expanding impact of quantum technologies across industries. With major milestones in fault-tolerant quantum computing, quantum networking, and quantum sensing all anticipated this year, the timing of these developments couldn't be more significant. This convergence of progress across the quantum landscape makes this moment particularly exciting for companies pioneering quantum solutions.
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Our field has reached a stage where its promise can no longer be hidden from others. Industry, investors, educators and governments all around the world have taken notice.
Evidence of this lies in the recent announcement of the DARPA QBI program , which earlier this month announced 15 promising companies to take part in this Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, including Nord Quantique . This is one way in which governments can contribute to the development of quantum computing. The French government also previously announced its own program supporting its quantum industry. Many countries are getting involved more deeply as well. In fact, just today the UK government announced a new £121 million investment to develop quantum solutions which help tackle challenges including crimefighting, fraud detection and other financial crime. There are many ways in which both national and sub-national governments can help to cultivate the quantum industry.
We have also seen the emergence of ecosystems designed to attract quantum companies and talent, as well as develop industry hubs. These are often associated with one or more universities. Munich, Chicago, Boulder, Paris, Delft and of course Sherbrooke, are among the many quantum hubs worldwide which offer important advantages to companies at different stages, designed to help them operate and grow. These ecosystems play a key role, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
In the educational space, many universities are developing or already offering some form of quantum curriculum at the graduate, and even the undergraduate, level. The majority of these institutions are in contact with employers in quantum, from multinational corporations down to the smallest startups, to ensure that the curriculum is such that the skills match the industry needs including engineering, physics, software development and more.
We are also seeing early signs that more is being done to attract students into studying in our field at an earlier age, as more and more attractive career opportunities are becoming available. The talent pool has expanded dramatically. Quantum expertise is no longer confined to physics departments; computer scientists, engineers, and domain specialists from various industries are contributing to quantum solutions, creating a rich interdisciplinary ecosystem.
The Importance of the Ecosystem
Local ecosystems play a pivotal role in the development of this technology. Here in Sherbrooke for instance we have an integrated value chain which allow us to build and test all of the components of our quantum computers locally. From our chips to our superconducting cavities, we have all the facilities required to build, test and evaluate devices within a short distance from our headquarters. We have also established partnerships with local stakeholders to ensure access to these highly advanced facilities.
The vision we have for the future of quantum computing is coming to life here in Sherbrooke. A network of suppliers is available to us here to collaborate with, which helps us at multiple levels of our stack, from cryogenics and control electronics to software and more.
The talent, infrastructure and drive to lead are all present in this ecosystem. Being part of a quantum community in this way brings access to human, material and capital resources that may not be available elsewhere.
Logical Qubits: A Goal for the Entire Industry
Quantum computing of course continues to face challenges. None more than fundamental error correction. Quantum systems are inherently fragile, with quantum information easily disturbed by environmental interactions, control inaccuracies, and noise in general. This fragility has led many experts to conclude that practical quantum advantage requires fault-tolerant quantum computing through the implementation of logical qubits.
Tremendous progress continues to be made in this area. Addressing scalability and quantum error correction will help the industry to overcome challenges such as the large physical footprints of quantum computers and cutting down the amount of energy these systems will consume.
At Nord Quantique, we started out with this in mind. We're building fault-tolerant quantum systems from the ground up—using bosonic codes to reduce the hardware burden. Our team is working to deliver a 1:1 ratio of physical to logical qubits.
Convergence Lights the Path Forward
After 100 years of quantum, there has never been a more exciting time to be in this field. The convergence of advancements in research and technology, the emergence of ecosystems which accelerate development and collaboration, a growing pipeline of talent and an increasing level of support from governments in many countries have ensured the industry is on the right track to achieve its objectives in a timely manner.
We are entering a phase where quantum computing's promise begins transforming into practical capabilities. As quantum computing continues its march toward practicality, we are proud to see Nord Quantique's innovative approach supporting the transition to error corrected systems that may prove to be a defining contribution—one that helps unlock the transformative potential of quantum computing sooner, while establishing a more sustainable path forward for the adoption of this transformative technology.