LU will collaborate with Accenture in quantum science

The research team of the Quantum Computer Science Center, part of the Faculty of Computer Science of the University of Latvia (LU DF) will cooperate with the experts from the information technology (IT) company Accenture to study in-depth the application of quantum algorithms in various fields.  The cooperation agreement between the two parties envisages that the LU DF Quantum Computer Science Center will receive a 100 thousand euro investment from Accenture.

This partnership is a crucial step to form long-term cooperation that promotes a strong quantum development talent and expertise base in Latvia. 

"Collaboration with industry is very important because it allows us to understand the right directions of research and to improve it in the future so that it is as useful as possible. It also allows discovering scientific ideas in a new direction. The planned project also includes algorithm testing on currently available quantum computers, and we will have access to a higher level of quantum techniques to test. Collaborative projects in which companies cooperate with scientists are becoming more and more common in the world, ”explains Andris Ambainis, Professor of the University of Latvia DF, Head of the Quantum Computer Science Center of the University of Latvia.

"Accenture is partnering with the world's leading companies to invest in quantum algorithm research and early prototyping. In the project, we will provide an insight into our experience and expertise. We will share the acquired knowledge on the applicability of quantum algorithms in the financial sector, biopharmaceuticals, materials science, optimization and the subsector of artificial intelligence, namely, machine learning. Accenture is an international company; therefore, thanks to its internal cooperation with quantum research teams in Europe and America, we will evaluate scalability possibilities at the European and global level. We expect that quantum computer science will open up completely new possibilities of computing, which will be able to give a radical push in several directions of the IT industry, ”emphasizes Maksims Jegorovs, Head of Accenture in Latvia.

“Our goal is to show that, in the future, we can implement such a pilot project for potential quantum computer users in Latvia as well. Our knowledge of quantum algorithms is among the best in Europe. Quantum technology is a new method of high-performance computing that could solve what is difficult with current methods. If currently, it is artificial intelligence that is very important for businesses, then in 10-15 years, it could be quantum technologies that will offer new business development opportunities. Those organizations with a time horizon of 10-15 years are interested in examining this field, ”explains A. Ambainis.

Today, the world of quantum technology is very relevant, and the main challenge - to build the best possible quantum computer - is interesting for scientists, various companies, as well as governments. For example, the French government will invest 430 million euros in quantum computer construction and 1.8 billion in quantum technologies altogether. Similar investments come from other governments. Since quantum computing beginnings, the financial investment in this area has been around € 25 billion US dollars.

Companies currently involved in the application development for quantum computers represent a wide range of activities - from car and home appliance manufacturers to large banks. If 15 years ago quantum computing was mainly interesting for theoretical and experimental science researchers, now quantum computer construction has moved from academia to commercial organizations.

Source: df.lu.lv