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Two weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend the Quantum Future Academy (QFA) 2024, funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) and organized by the VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH in cooperation with the QVLS | Quantum Valley Lower Saxony.
In this framework, I was able to gain intensive insights into the research landscape of the Quantum Valley Lower Saxony. All the laboratory tours at HITec, L3S Research Center and Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) in Hanover and the Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology LENA as well as the Quantum Technology Competence Center (QTZ) of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB in Braunschweig were particularly impressive.
Since socio-economic revolutions are primarily executed by companies and due to the potentially disruptive nature of quantum computing technologies, a special focus of the QFA was laid on entrepreneurial thinking and StartUps. Huge thanks goes to Dr. Stephan Hannig from Agile Optic GmbH, Dr. Amado Bautista-Salvador from QUDORA Technologies, and Dr. Gary Kendall from CDO2 for sharing their insights along their journey of founding quantum technology StartUps!
Since quantum technologies have a high transformative power, it is our responsibility as scientists to educate the public about possibilities and risks of these technologies. For the first time in the history of the QFA, elements of science communication were therefore integrated into the program plan in the form of a design thinking related workshop and a visit of the phaeno gGmbH in Wolfsburg.
In addition to the scientific program, many cultural activities were also integrated to encourage socializing and networking with other participants, like a joint cooking evening at LaCocina – Die Kochschulen, a visit to the variety theatre GOP and the closing dinner at the royal stables in Hanover.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude on behalf of all ~30 participants to the organizing committee of the VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH, especially Dr. Thomas Krämer, Dr. Julia Wilms, Dr. Charlotte Rimbach and Nina Pawlik for organizing the Quantum Future Academy in close collaboration with Sabine Möhlmann, Lena Bittermann and the managing director Naz Pourmalek of the QVLS | Quantum Valley Lower Saxony. I am very grateful to the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung under the leadership of Bettina Stark-Watzinger for supporting events like the QFA, as they are an irreplaceable part of our education of young researchers in Germany.
To conclude, I would like to thank the two alumni Daniel Vajner (QFA 2019) and Vladyslav Los (QFA 2023) from previous editions of the QFA, who shared their experiences on how the QFA helped them in their personal and professional development. And of course, a big thank you goes to all participants of this year's Quantum Future Academy 2024 who made this event so unique!
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