Germany is aiming to become a world leader in quantum technologies to secure its technological sovereignty. Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger emphasized this after the government approved a new concept paper, setting out plans to invest €2.18bn ($2.5bn) through to 2026. This will allow Germany to catch up with the likes of Google and IBM in quantum computing. The country already has a strong research landscape, but the new funds will enable it to develop hardware for practical applications in business and society, with the aim of overcoming societal challenges.
The German government is seeking to develop a universal quantum computer with at least 100 individually controllable qubits, which can be scaled up to 500 in the medium term. New algorithms based on qubits could provide decisive advantages for weather services, climate modelling, and machine learning.
The government’s plan is to “make contributions to overcoming societal challenges in climate research, energy, health, mobility and security,” the paper says. It also aims to create a trained workforce in quantum technologies. The government will collaborate with partners from the private sector to achieve these goals and will consider the cybersecurity implications of quantum technologies. The migration to secure post-quantum cryptography is crucial in critical infrastructures.
The digital association Bitkom welcomed the new initiative as an opportunity to reinvigorate German IT. However, it also pointed out that China and the USA are investing disproportionately higher sums in this area. To succeed, Germany must develop quantum software and industry-relevant applications as well.
The initiative builds on an earlier funding program launched in 2018 by the previous German government, which also focused on cracking classic encryption. The new plan will allow Germany to take its place among the world’s top countries in quantum technologies.
