2025 Swissnex Quantum Summit
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Startups, Innovation Open Call: Startup Camps Q1 2026
The Startup Camp, powered by Innosuisse and managed by Swissnex, offers a unique opportunity for Swiss entrepreneurs to explore and learn about the world’s 2nd largest economy.
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Event, Innovation Climatetech Investor Summit
Swissnex, Droplet VC, and Helvetas USA present a an investor-focused discussion on scaling deeptech solutions for planetary challenges.
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Event, Innovation Unlocking Investment for Ocean Resilience
Swissnex, GIB Foundation, IUCN Blue Natural Capital, and rrreefs present a film screening and exclusive gathering of investors, innovators, and ocean advocates, spotlighting scalable solutions for marine biodiversity and climate adaptation.
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Event, Innovation The Net Zero Soirée
The Net Zero Soirée, hosted by Climeworks, Stockholm Exergi, and Swissnex, brings together 100 top executives and thought leaders from business, finance, science, and policy.
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Innovation, Event, Startups, Academia Swiss-Japan Energy Days 2025
Join us at Swissnex in Japan for a Swiss-Japanese seminar on energy innovations during the Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week (September 17-28) at the World Expo 2025 Osaka. The event will explore academic trends, startup pitches, private sector needs, and policy advancements, fostering collaboration between academia, industry, policymakers, and emerging entrepreneurs.
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Event, Innovation Food Circularity in Action
Swissnex and Swiss Business Hub USA present a conversation with innovators who are redesigning the way we grow, process, and distribute food.
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Entangling Ecosystems
The Swissnex Quantum Summit, held on October 13, 2025 at Campus Biotech in Geneva, brings together key quantum actors to explore how to build strong quantum ecosystems at local, national, and international levels. Through topical panels, flash talks, breakouts, and networking, attendees will share insights into national quantum strategies, cross-sector knowledge exchange, and talent pipelines; meet key researchers, companies, centers, and ecosystem builders; and discuss shared challenges and opportunities.
The Swissnex Quantum Summit is one part of the newly launched Swiss Quantum Week, a series of events over one week in Geneva showcasing the best of Swiss quantum from several angles. You are asked to register independently for each event. Learn more about these and other events at SwissQuantumWeek.ch.

Summit Schedule
Arrival and Kickoff | Welcome from Swiss Hosts
08:15 – Breakfast and Networking
09:00 – Welcome Remarks
- Jacques Ducrest, SERI
- Anna Fontcuberta, EPFL
- Nicolas Gisin, Swiss Quantum Initiative
Morning Session | From Lab to Prototype
09:15 – Flash Talks
- Jason Smith, IQN Hub
- Helene Hainzer, University of Vienna
- Hugo Lehmann, METAS
- Jennifer Hastie, QEPNT Hub
- Marina Gertsvolf, NRC Canada
- María José Calderón, ICMM-CSIC
- Arindam Ghosh, Indian Institute of Science
09:55 – Panel Discussion
- Moderator: Dominik Zumbühl, NCCR SPIN, University of Basel
- Andreas Wallraff, ETH Zurich, ETHZ-PSI Quantum Computing Hub
- Eleni Diamanti, CNRS
- Michael Holynski, University of Birmingham, QuSIT
- Yonuk Chong, Sungkyunkwang University
Morning Keynotes | National and Regional Approaches
10:25 – Keynote: Government of Karnataka
- Shri Nadminpalli S. Boseraju, Hon’ble Minister of Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka
10:30 – Coffee Break
11:00 – Keynote: Swiss Quantum Strategy Preview
- Andreas Masuhr, Swiss Quantum Initiative
Morning Session | Building National and Regional Initiatives
11:10 – Flash Talks
- Jon Wingborg, Quantum Sweden Innovation Platform
- Megan Lee, Quantum City and University of Calgary
- Ulrich Mans, QuantumDelta NL
- Shantanu Sharma, Quantum Ecosystems Technology Council of India
11:30 – Panel Discussion
- Roger McKinlay, Innovate UK UKRI
- Isa Reichel-Christensen, University of Copenhagen Quantum Hub
- David Morcuende, Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC)
- Jonathan Felbinger, Quantum Economic Development Consortium
Afternoon Session | The Swiss Quantum Ecosystem
12:00 – Flash Talks
- Iyán Mendez, HSLU
- Pavel Sulimov, ZHAW
- Daniel Brau, Miraex
- Christian Jünger, YQuantum
- Lennig Pedron, Trust Valley
- Gabriel Puebla-Hellman, QZabre
- Moritz Kirste, Zurich Instruments
- Pavel Hrmo, ZuriQ
- Kilian Wasmer, armasuisse
12:45 – Networking Lunch
Afternoon Session | From Startup to a Quantum Economy
14:00 – Flash Talks
- Julia Thiele, Amazon Web Services Germany
- Frederik Flöther, QuantumBasel, University of Basel
- Matija Zesko, PsiQuantum
- Artem Nikitin, Delft Circuits
- Nagendra Nagaraja, QpiAI
14:40 – Panel Discussion
- Anca Albu, QAI Ventures, Moderator
- Laura Smoliar, QuantumDenmark
- Francesco Bova, Creative Destruction Lab
- Noam Zakay, IonQ
- Matthias Troyer, Microsoft
Afternoon Session | Building Quantum for the Good of Society
15:15 – Flash talks
- Gabriele Raino, ETH Zurich
- Catherine Lefebvre, GESDA
- Daniel de Haro Moraes, Venturus
15:35 – Panel Discussion
- Mira Wolf-Bauwens, GESDA
- Claudia Fracchiola, American Physical Society, Intl Year of Quantum
- Pieter Vermass, TU Delft
- Urbasi Sinha, Raman Research Institute
Afternoon Breakouts | Fostering Deeper International Collaboration
16:05 – Coffee Break
16:15 – Conversation Café
- Enabling funding for international collaboration
- Developing talent across borders
- Avoiding the “Valley of Death” for quantum technologies
- Infrastructures, enabling technologies, and supply chains
- Preparing and listening to industry and end users
- Ethical and socially responsible development
Evening Plenary | Enhancing Collaboration
17:00 – Conversation Café Host Reports and Key Takeaways
17:20 – Closing Remarks
- Philippe Caroff, Quantum Science and Engineering Center EPFL
17:30 – Reception
18:30 – End
Welcome Remarks
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Bio
Jacques Ducrest
Head of International Relations, State Secretariat for Education, Research, and InnovationAmbassador Jacques Ducrest has been Head of the International Relations Division at the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and a member of its management board since 1 April 2022. In this role, he is responsible for negotiating and implementing bilateral agreements in education, research and innovation, as well as overseeing Swissnex, Switzerland’s global network for international collaboration in these fields.
He studied law at the Universities of Neuchâtel and Mannheim, earned an LL.M. from McGill University in Montreal, and was admitted to the bar of Neuchâtel. In 1998, he joined the Swiss diplomatic service, serving in Manila, Prague and Vienna, before working at the Directorate of International Law and later the Prosperity and Sustainability Division (FDFA). From 2017 he was Deputy Head of that division and, in 2019, appointed Delegate of the Swiss Federal Council for the 2030 Agenda, chairing the federal steering committee on sustainable development. -
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Anna Fontcuberta
President, EPFLBio coming soon…
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Nicholas Gisin
President, Swiss Quantum CommissionNicolas Gisin is President of the Swiss Quantum Commission, the coordinating body for the Swiss Quantum Initiative. The Initiative was launched in 2023 to further strengthen the leading position of the Swiss quantum ecosystem. Gisin is professor emeritus at the University of Geneva with a focus on quantum optics and sensors. His research in telecom and the sensing domains led to many patents and technological transfers to Swiss and international industries. More recently, the demonstration of quantum cryptography and of long distance quantum entanglement received attention from the international scientific community as from the general public. In 2009, Gisin was awarded the First Biennial John Stewart Bell Prize for Research on Fundamental Issues in Quantum Mechanics and their Applications.
From Lab to Prototype – Flash Talks
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Helene Hainzer
Knowledge Broker for Quantum Technologies, University of AustriaHelene Hainzer supports innovation and entrepreneurship in Austria’s growing quantum technology ecosystem. During her PhD, she co-developed and built an ion trap experiment, gaining hands-on experience with quantum technologies for applications in sensing and simulation. Building on this technical background, she now works at the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ), where she helps bridge the gap between academic research and practical application. Her work focuses on organizing entrepreneurship programs and other technology transfer initiatives, and connecting researchers, startups, industry, policymakers, and investors, to support the development of a strong and connected quantum ecosystem.
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Hugo Lehmann
Chief Partnership and Technology Transfer Officer, METASHugo holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Fribourg. After his PhD he joined the Institute Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, where he was responsible for the high-resolution gamma ray spectrometer GAMS4.
Back in Switzerland, he joined the innovation department of Swisscom, where he specialized in the measurement of electromagnetic fields and their potential biological effects. Later he took over the lead of Swisscom’s accredited test lab.
After a Master in Management of Technology and Economics from ETH Zurich, he built up an engineering team, with the mandate to bring mobile technologies faster to the Swisscom network.
With his background in industry research, technology and management he joined METAS in 2020, where acts currently as Chief Partnership and Technology Transfer Officer, while pushing also forward METAS quantum activities. -
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María José Calderón
Senior Scientist, Material Science Institute of MadridMaría José Calderón is a theoretical physicist specializing in quantum materials for quantum technologies. Her research addresses electronic properties of complex systems, including moiré materials, and semiconductor-based quantum devices. After her PhD at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2001), she held postdoctoral positions at the University of Cambridge and the University of Maryland. She joined CSIC in 2007 and received the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” award (Spain, 2008). Dr Calderón has taken on leadership roles such as Programme Officer for Physical Sciences at AEI, president of the Spanish Condensed Matter Physics Division (GEFES-RSEF), and elected board member of the European Physical Society Condensed Matter Division. She served on the editorial board of Physical Review B (2018–2024) and participates in international advisory and program committees. Committed to outreach, she co-founded the Spanish initiative 11 de febrero to promote women in science. She is currently CSIC’s Deputy Coordinator for Matter.
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Arindam Ghosh
Professor, Indian Institute of ScienceArindam Ghosh is JRD Tata Chair Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bangalore, India. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, has been a Visiting Research Fellow in Nanotechnology at the T J Watson Research Centre of IBM. Arindam works with both the Central and the State Governments on various aspects of the Quantum Technology roadmap in India. He coordinated the Material and Devices vision document for India’s National Quantum Mission, works with the Mission Coordination Cell, and chaired the committee that designed the undergraduate quantum education in India for over 9000 technical colleges and universities. He is currently the Convenor of the IISC Quantum Technology Initiative. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Quan2D Tech. Pvt Ltd – a deeptech startup developing commercializable devices for quantum sensing.
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Jennifer Hastie
Professor, University of StrathclydeJennifer E. Hastie is a Professor in Physics, leading research on novel solid-state and semiconductor lasers at the Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde. Her research has a particular emphasis on laser spectral purity, wavelength versatility, and applications in precision metrology and spectroscopy. She has held leadership roles in the UK’s Quantum Technology Programme since 2014, leading work on ultra-coherent VECSELs for atomic physics, including optical clocks, and is currently Deputy Lead of the UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing. She served as Director of the Institute of Photonics (2022-2025) and was awarded Fellowship of Optica in 2024 for “leadership in the photonics and quantum technology community and pioneering technical contributions in the area of narrow-linewidth lasers.”
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Jason Smith
Assistant Driector, Integrated Quantum Networks HubBio coming soon…
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Marina Gertsvolf
Senior Research Officer, National Research Council CanadaBio coming soon…
From Lab to Prototype – Panel Session
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Dominik Zumbühl
Director NCCR SPIN, University of BaselProfessor Dominik Zumbühl is a physicist at the University of Basel. His lab conducts quantum transport experiments in semiconductor nanostructures, in order to investigate quantum coherence, electron and holes spins as well as nuclear spins and interactions. In addition to examining spin quits for quantum computing, he also researches nanowire and 1D systems for novel quantum matter, and spin-orbit coupling in quantum dots, wires, and wells, among other projects. Zumbühl serves as Director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research: Spin Qubits in Silicon.
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Andreas Wallraff
Founding Director, Quantum Center ETHZAndreas Wallraff is Full Professor for Solid-State Physics in the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich. His work focuses on the experimental investigation of quantum effects in superconducting electronic circuits for fundamental quantum optics experiments and for applications in quantum information processing. His group at ETH Zurich researches micro- and nano-electronics as well as hybrid quantum systems combining superconducting electronic circuits with semiconductor quantum dots, making use of fast and sensitive microwave techniques at ultra-low temperatures.
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Eleni Diamanti
Director, Paris Centre for Quantum Technologies and Researcher, CNRSBio coming soon…
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Michael Holynski
Principal Investigator, UK Quantum Technology Research HubBio coming soon…
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Yonuk Chong
Professor, Sungkyunkwang UniversityBio coming soon…
Keynotes on National and Regional Approaches
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Shri Nadminpalli S. Boseraju
Hon'ble Minister of Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology, Government of KarnatakaBio coming soon…
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Andreas Masuhr
Swiss Quantum InitiatveBio coming soon.
Building National and Regional Initiatives – Flash Talks
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Jon Wingborg
Outreach Manager, Quantum Sweden Innovation PlatformJon Wingborg have more than 15 years’ experience of identifying innovations and transferring research results to commercialization. Today Jon is responsible for building international connections for QSIP (Quantum Sweden Innovation Platform) as well as the Swedish graphene ecosystem at SIO grafen. Previous experience includes a CTO-role for a material startup. Jon has a master in materials science from Chalmers University of Technology.
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Megan Lee
Managing Director, Quantum City at University of CalgaryBio coming soon…
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Ulrich Mans
Strategic Partnerships Lead, Quantum Delta NLUlrich Mans is responsible for Quantum Delta NL’s International Strategy. He has a background in digital innovation, ecosystem policy and geopolitics. Before joining Quantum Delta NL, he worked a.o. for the European Union’s external action service, as innovation attaché in Washington fro the Dutch government, at Leiden University and for numerous think tanks across Europe. He holds a MA in international conflict management and a PhD in environmental studies.
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Shantanu Sharma
Senior Policy Researcher, Quantum Ecosystems Technology Council of IndiaBio coming soon…
Building National and Regional Initiatives – Panel Discussion
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Isa Reichel-Christensen
Coordinator, UCPH Quantum HubIsa Seiling Reichel-Christensen is the Quantum Hub Coordinator at the University of Copenhagen, where she connects cutting-edge quantum research with the broader society. Passionate about sustainability and interdisciplinary collaboration, she develops initiatives that strengthen Denmark’s quantum ecosystem and foster partnerships across academia, industry, and government. Drawing on her extensive experience in external relations and strategic leadership, Isa works to empower the quantum community, promote accessible innovation, and ensure that emerging technologies contribute to sustainable progress. Her commitment and broad network make her a driving force in advancing cross-disciplinary collaboration and responsible technological development.
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Roger McKinlay
Challenge Director - Quantum Technologies, UKRISince 2018 Roger McKinlay has been leading the Quantum Technologies Challenge in Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. The QT Challenge funds collaborative projects and early procurement and has invested over £300m to industry-led projects over the past seven years. Roger is a Chartered Engineer and a past president of the Royal Institute of Navigation. He joined UKRI following a career in the defence and aerospace industries.
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David Morcuende
Quantum Industry Network Manager, Quantum Industry ConsortiumBio coming soon…
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Jonathan Felbinger
Deputy Director of the Quantum Economic Development ConsortiumBio coming soon…
Swiss Quantum Ecosystem and its Collaborators
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Iyán Mendez Veiga
Researcher Associate, Lucerne University of Applied SciencesIyán Méndez Veiga is a research associate and doctoral candidate at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and ETH Zurich. With a background in physics, his research focuses on quantum cryptography and cybersecurity, with an emphasis on bridging the gap between theory and practical implementations. He also teaches in one of Switzerland’s first applied quantum computing courses. At HSLU, he is contributing to the establishment of the first quantum key distribution link at an applied university and advancing the validation and standardization of privacy amplification techniques.
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Pavel Sulimov
Research Associate, ZHAWPavel Sulimov has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Computer Science. Currently he is a Senior Quantum AI Researcher at Institute of Computer Science (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) and an Academic Lead at Innosuisse AI Booster (Quantum Algorithms Expert Group). Before moving to Switzerland, was holding the position of Lead Data Scientist at BetVictor (Gibraltar).
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Daniel Brau
CEO, MiraexCEO and seasoned entrepreneur leading a startup born from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, specializes in quantum transducers, aiming to bridge the gap between microwave and optical frequencies for quantum computing. Main focus on developing hardware for quantum LANs, leveraging our quantum frequency conversion technology for applications beyond networking of superconducting quantum computers, including optical communications and enhanced sensing capabilities.
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Lennig Pedron
CEO, Trust ValleyLennig Pedron is CEO of Trust Valley, a Swiss public-private partnership initiative and Switzerland’s center of excellence in digital trust and cybersecurity, part of the EPFL Innovation Park Foundation. A recognized leader in cybersecurity and emerging technologies, she was awarded European Cyber Woman 2023 in the Executive Leader category in Paris. As co-founder and president of NGO iCON, she represents an international community of over 100 digital trust experts at the Council of Europe. A Certified Board Member and former Data Protection expert for the Swiss Confederation, Lennig advises diverse audiences including police, prosecutors, and financial institutions. She has served as judge for the GCSP’s 9/12 geopolitical challenge for four years, spoken at the WSIS Forum, and co-authored “The Fundamentals of Cyber Crisis Management” (Ellipses, 2022).
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Kilian Wasmer
Head of Team Anticipation, armasuisseKilian Wasmer is team leader “Anticipation” at armasuisse Science & Technology, where is also responsible for both Technology Anticipation and Technology Management (2022 – present). One additional activity is also the coordination of Quantum activities by armasuisse. He additionally represents Switzerland in several NATO quantum groups.
Before Kilian Wasmer was Deputy Head of the Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing at Empa (Switzerland), where he leads the Dynamical Processes group (2013-2022). Trained in mechanical engineering (Sion, Soest) and holding a PhD from Imperial College London, he later earned an EMBA from HEC Lausanne. Hence, Kilian Wasmer’s main technology competences at the intersection of advanced materials processing, real-time monitoring, intelligent manufacturing systems as well as technology anticipation in defence relies on continuous scanning, scenario building, roadmapping, linking emerging science to future capability needs. -
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Pavel Hrmo
CEO and Co-Founder, ZuriQBio coming soon…
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Gabriel Puebla-Hellman
CEO, QZabreDr. Puebla Hellmann is CEO of QZabre, an ETH Spinoff that creates NV Scanning Magnetometers and NV scanning probes. An enthusiast for moving quantum technologies from the lab to real world applications, he started his career with a PhD in Prof. Andreas Wallraff’s Quantum Device Lab at ETH Zürich. He then moved to IBM Zürich, first in collaboration with the University of Zurich, then with the University of Basel, where he worked to create a mass-fabrication compatible platform for molecular electronics. Mid 2018, immediately convinced of the potential that NV technology offers, he joined QZabre as a late cofounder. Dr. Puebla Hellmann has authored scientific papers published in Nature as well as several patents and won the Zeiss Quantum Challenge in 2020.
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Moritz Kirste
Head of Business Development, Zurich InstrumentsBio coming soon…
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Christian Jünger
CEO and Co-Founder, YQuantumDr. Christian Jünger is CEO and Co-Founder of YQuantum LLC, a Swiss startup driving the next generation of scalable quantum hardware. As co-inventor of the company’s core technology, he blends deep scientific expertise with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
Christian earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Basel, focusing on quantum transport, before joining UC Berkeley under Prof. Irfan Siddiqi to advance research on superconducting qubits and circuit QED. He further broadened his global perspective during research stays at the University of Tokyo, establishing connections across Switzerland, the US, and Japan.
Beyond academia, Christian gained hands-on industry experience as Business Developer at QuantrolOx, a quantum software startup, where he deepened his understanding of commercialization strategies and ecosystem dynamics.
With this unique combination of scientific excellence, international experience, and startup know-how, Christian now leads YQuantum’s mission to deliver innovative cryogenic components that overcome key scaling bottlenecks and accelerate the path toward large-scale quantum computing.
From Startup to a Quantum Economy – Flash Talks
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Julia Thiele
Market Specialist, AWS GermanyJulia Thiele is a Senior Quantum Computing Specialist in the AWS Advanced Compute team, leading business development and go-to-market strategy for quantum technologies across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). With over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, Julia brings deep expertise spanning business operations, enterprise sales, and emerging technologies. Since joining AWS in 2018, she has worked extensively with intergovernmental research institutions and scientific organisations to advance cloud-enabled research. Julia holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Liverpool and is passionate about fostering innovation at the intersection of science and technology.
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Frederik Flöther
Chief Quantum Officer, QuantumBaselDr. Frederik F. Flöther is Chief Quantum Officer at QuantumBasel and a member of the University of Basel Center for Quantum Computing and Quantum Coherence (QC2). Frederik previously held roles at IBM and was responsible for healthcare and life sciences at IBM Quantum. He was also elected to the IBM Academy of Technology and appointed Master Inventor and Qiskit Advocate.
Frederik’s research interests include technological applications as well as philosophical and societal implications of quantum computing and AI. He holds a PhD in physics with a focus on photonic quantum computing from the University of Cambridge as well as a professional certificate in quantum computing applications from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Frederik has authored over 50 filed patents, peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and white papers.
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Artem Nikitin
Head of Sales, Delft CircuitsArtem Nikitin is leading commercial activities at Delft Circuits. He is responsible for expanding the partners and customers worldwide. Artem received a PhD in experiment condensed matter physics from the University of Amsterdam in 2017. Then, he obtained an EU Marie Curie fellowship to continue the research as a postdoc at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. In 2019, he joined a young startup from Delft to create a commercial foundation for the ambitious technology – Cri/oFlex®. This technology aims to massively scale the qubit architecture by introducing flexible high-frequency cryogenic cabling.
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Matija Zesko
Quantum Computing Education Manager, PsiQuantumBio coming soon…
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Nagendra Nagaraja
Founder, CEO and Chairman, QpiAIBio coming soon…
From Startup to a Quantum Economy – Panel Discussion
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Laura Smoliar
CEO, Quantum DenmarkDr. Laura Smoliar serves as the CEO of Quantum Denmark, headquartered at the historic Niels Bohr Institute. Quantum Denmark is a central pillar of the Danish National Strategy for Quantum Technology and brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and industry leaders to translate cutting-edge quantum research into real-world commercial solutions. It is supported by the Danish Business Authority, the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Dr. Smoliar has worked to bring new technologies from the laboratory to the commercial market for nearly three decades in Silicon Valley, as a technologist, startup founder, and venture capital investor. She previously founded the Berkeley Catalyst Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund.
She has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, where she worked with Nobel Laureate Yuan T. Lee. She also worked at Academia Sinica, Taiwan, during her Ph.D. and postdoc years.
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Francesco Bova
Associate Professor, University of TorontoFrancesco is an associate professor and economist at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. His research focuses on the economics of quantum technologies. This research includes his co-authored work on quantum economic advantage, the commercial applications of quantum computing, and the economics of open-source quantum computing. Francesco is also the Chief Quantum Economist for Creative Destruction Lab’s quantum stream. CDL-Quantum has played an important role in supporting over 160+ quantum startups throughout its history. Francesco also sits on the Leadership Council for Open Quantum Design as its Economist-in-Residence. Open Quantum Design is a non-profit organization that is building the world’s first open-source, full-stack, trapped-ion quantum computer.
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Noam Zakay
Managing Director, IonQAs Managing Director of IonQ EMEA, Noam Zakay leads the company’s strategic expansion and commercialization of its cutting-edge quantum technologies across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He is responsible for building a robust commercial presence in the region by forging high-impact partnerships and driving the adoption of IonQ’s advanced quantum computing systems.
With a distinguished 35-year career, Noam is a recognized leader in business development and strategic growth. His expertise includes defining organizational missions, identifying new business opportunities, and executing innovative strategies. Noam’s exceptional negotiation and deal-making skills have been formally recognized with the Master Deal Maker certification from INSEAD. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, awarded with Honors from the University of South Florida. -
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Anca Albu
COO, QAI VenturesBio coming soon…
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Matthias Troyer
Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President, Microsoft QuantumBio coming soon…
Building Quantum for the Good of Society – Flash Talks
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Catherine Lefebvre
Senior Advisor, GESDADr. Catherine Lefebvre is Senior Advisor at the Geneva Science Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) for the Open Quantum Institute – a GESDA initiative hosted by CERN with the mission to promote global and inclusive access to quantum computing and the development of applications for the benefit of humanity. Catherine has years of experience in building strategic relationships as well as research & innovation partnerships in global quantum and artificial intelligence ecosystems. She serves on the Board of Distriq – the Quantum Innovation Hub of Quebec, Canada -, the Advisory Board of XPRIZE Quantum Applications Competition, and the Scientific Committee of QVStudio – a quantum incubator /accelerator in Sherbrooke, Canada. Until recently, Catherine was Vice President Global Policy and Partnerships at PASQAL, where she led the international research collaborations and was convenor of the European Committee for Standardization Working Group on Quantum Computing (CEN/CLC JTC 22 WG3), as well as co-chair of the IEEE Working Group on Quantum Computing Architecture (P3120).
She previously worked as Innovation Ambassador US & Canada at M Squared Lasers, Scientific Advisor in quantum technology for the Quebec Government (MEIE), Scientific Liaison Officer in artificial intelligence for the National Bank of Canada and for the startup ElementAI (acquired by ServiceNow). Catherine has a background in research and holds a PhD in molecular physics and theoretical quantum chemistry from Université Paris-Sud and Université Laval. She then pursued research as postdoctoral fellow and research associate for almost a decade, at the Université de Sherbrooke, the Canadian Space Agency and the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique. -
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Gabriele Rainò
Head of QuanTech Workshops, ETH ZürichBio coming soon…
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Daniel Moraes
Head of Emerging Technologies, VenturusBio coming soon…
Building Quantum for the Good of Society – Panel Discussion
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Mira Wolf-Bauwens
Head of Initiatives Development, GESDADr. Mira L. Wolf-Bauwens leads the development of new science diplomacy initiatives at GESDA (Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator). Previously, she co-founded and led the Responsible Quantum Computing research at IBM Research and served as IBM Quantum Technical Ambassador. Her work focuses on developing solutions that demonstrate technological innovation and societal benefit can go hand-in-hand, and on the socio-ethical and geopolitical questions that arise with the development of new technologies.
Mira has extensive experience working in tech, development corporation, strategy consulting and as CEO of a block-chain start-up. Mira holds a PhD in Political Philosophy on institutional recognition and normative evaluation of emerging technologies from University of Zurich with Visiting Research Fellowships at Columbia University and University of Oxford.
She is an Associate Member of the University of Oxford’s Computer Science Department, sits on the Advisory Board of the UK’s Responsible Quantum Industry Forum and is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Open Quantum Institute. Among others, Mira has co-authored the first Quantum Computing Governance Principles, published by the WEF in 2022, and advises UNESCO’s comest on questions of the ethical implications of quantum computing. Mira is a sought-after speaker on tech governance and tech policy. This year, she was an invited speaker at the Opening Ceremony of the UNESCO International Year of Quantum, APS March Meeting and the ITU’s AI for Good Summit.
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Claudia Fracchiola
Head of Public Engagement, American Physical SocietyBio coming soon…
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Pieter Vermass
Professor, TU Delft and Leader of Ethics Research, Quantum Delta NLBio coming soon…
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Urbasi Sinha
Professor, Raman Research InstituteUrbasi Sinha is a Professor at the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, India. She is heading the Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) laboratory at RRI. Prof. Sinha is a Simons Emmy Noether Fellow at the Perimeter Institute, Canada as well as an associate faculty member at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), University of Waterloo, Canada, and the Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Canada.
She completed her PhD at Cambridge University, UK, on experiments in high temperature Superconductivity. She completed her M.Sc in Physics also from Cambridge. She has been a Gates Cambridge scholar during her Ph.D and a Nehru-Chevening scholar during her masters. She was a post-doctoral research associate in the Cavendish labs, Cambridge as well as at IQC Canada.
Her lab at RRI specializes in experiments on photonic quantum information processing including quantum computing and quantum communication, primarily using single and entangled photons. She is heading India’s first project on satellite based secure quantum communications.
Her scientific recognitions include the Homi Bhabha Fellowship in the year 2017 as well as the 2018 ICTP-ICO Gallieno Denardo Award in Optics. She was recognised as one of Asia’s Top 100 scientists by the Asian Scientist for the year 2019 and has also been awarded the Simon’s Emmy Noether Fellowship at the Perimeter Institute, Canada. In August 2020, she led the two- member winning team as a mentor, at the World Skills International Competition in Quantum Technology at the BRICS Future Skills Challenge, organised by the Russian Quantum Centre in Moscow, Russia with competitors from several countries worldwide. She won the ASSOCHAM Women in Cyber: Making a Difference award in the category “Cyber – Leading from the front” in 2021. Recently, she has been awarded the prestigious 26th SIES Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence award for the year 2023 in the domain of science and technology.
Conversation Café Hosts
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Julien Baglio
Quantum Algorithm Researcher, QuantumBaselDr. Julien Baglio is a Quantum Algorithms Researcher at QuantumBasel, the center of competence for quantum computing and artificial intelligence, and also a member of the University of Basel. His main focus is on quantum computing and in particular quantum artificial intelligence for real-world applications in healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, logistics, and financial services.
He has studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris and holds a PhD in theoretical particle physics from the University of Paris-Saclay in France. He had then academic positions at KIT in Karlsruhe and at the University of Tübingen in Germany, before joining the Theory Department at CERN for a bit less than 4 years. His journey in quantum algorithms started there after having performed influential research in particle physics for more than 10 years in studying the Higgs boson.
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Rebekka Garreis
Quantum Ecosystem Coordinator, Swiss Quantum InitiativeBio coming soon…
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Anu Unnikrishnan
Executive Director, Quantum Center ETH ZurichBio coming soon…
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James Wootton
Chief Science Officer, Moth QuantumBio coming soon…
Closing Remarks
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Bio
Philipp Caroff
Executive Director, Quantum Science and Engineering Center EPFLBio coming soon…
Project Quantum
Connecting Switzerland and the world in quantum science and technology
The Swissnex Quantum Summit is part of Project Quantum, Swissnex’s initiative to connect Switzerland and the world in quantum science and technology.
Learn morePartners
Hosted at Campus Biotech in partnership with EPFL, the Swissnex Quantum Summit is part of Project Quantum, Swissnex’s initiative to connect Switzerland and the world in quantum science and technology.