Building a New Quantum Era

Taking place in Switzerland on October 14, 2023, the Swissnex Quantum Summit will bring together key ecosystem builders from several countries to discuss how to jointly accelerate breakthroughs and shape the quantum economy, from education and research to startups and large companies.

The Swissnex Quantum Summit

On the verge of new technological breakthroughs, governments, universities, and companies across the world are investing heavily in quantum research and innovation, as well as talent and workforce development. Held in Lausanne on October 14, 2023, the Swissnex Quantum Summit will explore best practices in building multi-stakeholder quantum ecosystems at the local and national levels, while connecting them on a global scale. The moment is ripe to bring together quantum initiatives from different countries to jointly accelerate breakthroughs and shape the quantum economy.

Program and Participants

Connecting Ecosystem Builders

The Swissnex Quantum Summit seeks participants who are actively shaping quantum ecosystems and supporting the emergence of this new industry in their respective countries, including policymakers, experts, and other “multipliers” from:

  • Government agencies involved in quantum strategies, infrastructure, and funding
  • Universities developing quantum education and translation programs
  • Quantum research centers involved in developing the broader ecosystem
  • Quantum accelerators, incubators, and innovation centers
  • Quantum startups, corporations, and industry associations
  • Industry players active in developing use cases for quantum

Objectives

The summit will work towards three objectives:

  • Best practices across borders | Presenting the key examples from various countries and identifying best practices in building quantum ecosystems
  • Multilateral collaborations | Finding multi-country synergies and joining forces on specific initiatives, such as talent-building programs
  • Experience Swiss quantum | Learning about and engaging with the best of Swiss quantum education, research, and innovation

Format

The interactive one-day summit will consist of three main parts:

  • Morning plenary | A series of lightning talks and panel discussions laying out the best practices and challenges in building multi-stakeholder quantum ecosystems across various levels: local, regional, and national.
  • Afternoon breakouts | A series of moderated “conversation cafés” – interactive discussions in sub-groups – running in parallel to address common challenges and opportunities presented in the morning.
  • Evening plenary | A session gathering insights from the conversation cafés and outline the next steps for enhancing international collaborations. The evening plenary will be followed by a closing reception.

Related Events

The Swissnex Quantum Summit will take place at the Rolex Learning Center on the EPFL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Saturday, October 14, 2023. It will be held alongside two other major quantum events in Switzerland this fall:

  • GESDA Summit | October 11-13, Geneva | Annual summit including a track on GESDA’s quantum efforts
  • Quantum Industry Day in Switzerland | October 16, EPFL | Premier annual meeting in the Swiss quantum ecosystem

Why Swissnex?

The Swissnex Quantum Summit will be the cornerstone of Swissnex’s Project Quantum, a series of activities undertaken throughout the global Swissnex network to connect Switzerland and the world in quantum science and technology.

  • In 2022, in conjunction with the signing of the Joint Statement on Cooperation in Quantum Information Science and Technology between Switzerland and the United States, Swissnex launched the Swiss-US Quantum Days in Chicago, which itself led to the creation of the US-Switzerland Quantum Symposium in Basel and several scientific collaborations.
  • This year, Swissnex is supporting diplomatic efforts in the field with various other countries, from the UK and Canada to Korea and Japan. As part of Project Quantum, the Swissnex Quantum Summit will turn these bilateral relationships into a multilateral opportunity for exchange, putting the best of Swiss quantum on center stage.

Partners

Hosted at EPFL, the Swissnex Quantum Summit is part of Project Quantum, Swissnex’s initiative to connect Switzerland and the world in quantum science and technology.

  • EPFL
  • swiss academy of sciences
  • NCCR SPIN
  • University of Basel
  • ETH Zurich
  • PSI
  • Empa
  • University of Geneva
  • UK Science & Innovation Network
  • Ministry of Science and ICT