Mission IQST

Shaping the quantum future

With its broad approach to quantum science and techno­logy — from perform­ing funda­mental research to provid­ing a contact point for industry, policy makers and the public — IQST aims to make a fruit­ful contri­bu­tion to a future in which quantum techno­lo­gies will have an increas­ingly import­ant role.

The IQST members form an inter­dis­cip­lin­ary research network that is uniquely positioned to carry out blue-sky basic research across discip­lin­ary bound­ar­ies. In doing so, new funda­mental questions that inspire future quantum research are discovered, and new mutually inspir­ing inter­ac­tions are estab­lished with an ever increas­ing number of fields of science and technology. 

IQST focusses on projects at the inter­face of physical sciences, engin­eer­ing and computer science, and life sciences and medicine – and across these disciplines.

We ask new questions.

IQST conducts curiosity-driven research to explore new fronti­ers in science and engin­eer­ing. We study model systems and use cutting-edge techniques to extend our funda­mental under­stand­ing of how matter and photons can behave. We under­take forefront research at the inter­sec­tion of computer science, electrical and photonic engin­eer­ing, and physics, to develop ground-breaking quantum devices that estab­lish a quantum advant­age and intro­duce new function­al­it­ies.

We find new solutions.

IQST provides new tools and ideas for mission-driven inter­dis­cip­lin­ary research to benefit society. We realise quantum computers and quantum sensors on multiple platforms — among them photonic, spin-based, and atom-based quantum systems — and pioneer innov­at­ive quantum software. We use these innov­at­ive quantum devices to explore applic­a­tions in areas with direct impact on society, such as health, sustain­ab­il­ity, and mobil­ity.

We create a quantum-ready society.

IQST is a point of contact for all stake­hold­ers inter­ested in quantum science and techno­logy. We provide expert advice to stake­hold­ers in academia, polit­ics, and educa­tion, engage in public outreach, and contrib­ute to the train­ing of the quantum workforce through dedic­ated MSc and PhD programmes. We support techno­logy trans­fer and collab­or­at­ive research projects between academia and industry, and act as a catalyst for the emerging quantum-technology ecosys­tem.