OQI pilot launches at CERN

After a successful 12 month incubation period, a pilot project by the Open Quantum Institute (OQI) to advance quantum computing, moved into operational launch at CERN (March 5).  

Led by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and in collaboration with some 180 experts from all over the world, the three-year project is a multilateral science diplomacy initiative, uniting academia, technology companies, the private sector, the diplomatic community, philanthropy organisations and global citizens in a joint effort towards more open and inclusive quantum computing for the benefit of society.

During its pilot phase, hosted at CERN and supported by the Union de Banques Suisses (UBS), the OQI will form part of CERN’s wider Quantum Technology Initiative (QTI); launched in 2020 QTI’s mission aims are to push the boundaries of geography and disciplines to enabling quantum computing to tackle some of the key global challenges.

“CERN offers ideal conditions for the development of the OQI and my hope is that this initiative will not only be a success, but also a model of what scientific diplomacy can do to promote concrete projects of benefit to humanity," said Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director-General. “During the pilot phase, the OQI will benefit from CERN's experience in deploying scientific and technological progress to the benefit of society. We look forward to working with GESDA and other partners from academia, industry and government to ensure that quantum computing is accessible to all, including underserved regions of the world."

The focus will lie on the selection of sustainable development goals (SDG)-related use cases to explore applications in fields like health, energy, climate action, clean water and food security.

“The UN’s SDGs represent the international community’s collective view of what the greatest societal challenges are today,” said Enrica Porcari, Head of CERN’s IT department. “This is why we are proud to host the OQI at CERN and to provide a platform for innovation, fostering real-world applications of quantum computing to address the SDGs.”

CERN will host the OQI from 2024 to 2026 and support three or four projects targeting SDG-related use cases. It will also lay the foundation for the next phase of the programme and potentially become a reference point for other initiatives aimed at deploying quantum technologies to address societal challenges.

GESDA will remain the science diplomacy advisor and fundraiser, helping to ensure the continuity of the initiative and contributing to its diplomatic engagement, while UBS will act as the lead support partner, ensuring further growth of the institute.

Organisations and individuals, committed to human-centred, inclusive and responsible quantum computing, are encouraged to become involved.

More information online