Since its founding in 2020, the KQCBW has established itself as a central hub for application-oriented quantum computing in Baden-Württemberg. The annual Developer Conference serves as an important format for fostering project-internal scientific exchange between partner institutions and jointly reviewing project progress. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and Organization IAO is jointly leading the project together with the Fraunhofer IAF.
Two Days, Four Sessions, One Topic
The program of this year's conference comprised four presentation sessions, two poster sessions, and a workshop. The event opened with an overview talk by project coordinator Dr. Thomas Wellens (Fraunhofer IAF) on the current status of the KQCBW project. This was complemented by a contribution from associated partner Boehringer Ingelheim: Dr. Michael Streif shed light on the scientific challenges involved in applying quantum computing to drug discovery, underscoring both the significant demand for practical quantum algorithms in industry today and the hurdles that still need to be overcome.
Algorithms, Hardware, and Error Correction in Focus
A key thematic focus of the conference was the further development of quantum algorithms for the simulation of chemical and physical systems. Researchers from Fraunhofer IWM, Fraunhofer ICT, and the DLR Institute of Quantum Technologies presented new approaches to more efficient state preparation, the computation of Green's functions, and the implementation of dissipation-based eigensolvers. Contributions from the partner universities of Ulm, Konstanz, and Stuttgart additionally explored methods for the quantum simulation of spin-boson systems and ferromagnetic spin chains.
A further focus was placed on quantum hardware: researchers from the University of Stuttgart reported on the current progress in scaling up the QRydDemo processor to more than 500 qubits based on neutral atoms. These presentations were complemented by work on the characterization of spin registers in silicon carbide and hardware benchmarking aimed at systematically comparing the performance of different quantum platforms.
Knowledge Transfer and Sustainable Software Development
Knowledge transfer also featured prominently on the agenda: the FZI Research Center for Information Technology presented a training concept for the sustainable provision of quantum software based on the FAIR principles for research data. This reflects the KQCBW's commitment to continuously translating new findings into practical applications.
Posters, Networking, and Workshop
The presentations were complemented by two poster sessions, which included work on noise characterization of superconducting quantum processors, hybrid quantum-HPC infrastructures, and quantum algorithms for partial differential equations. A dedicated workshop on science communication at specialist trade fairs on the second day of the conference provided additional space for in-depth discussions among the project partners.
Outlook
The fourth Developer Conference once again demonstrated the dynamic pace of development in quantum computing within the KQCBW partner network — spanning from foundational algorithmic research to concrete industrial application scenarios. The KQCBW will continue along this path, further strengthening the close collaboration between its partners from science and industry within the framework of the Innovation Campus QuantumBW.
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO