Turning the Iberian Peninsula into a European benchmark in quantum technologies and artificial intelligence: this is the goal of Quantum IberIA, a cross-border cooperation project that brings together 17 entities from both countries, including the INESC TEC UMinho Hub and CMEMS-UMinho, from the School of Engineering of the University of Minho.
The consortium brings together universities, technology centres, public administrations and business entities from Spain) including Galicia, Castile and León, Extremadura and Andalusia (and Portugal, with the aim of promoting research, innovation, knowledge transfer and talent attraction in areas considered strategic for Europe’s digital future.
“INESC TEC was involved from the very first stages of this application,” says Luís Paulo Santos, INESC TEC researcher in quantum computing and professor at the School of Engineering of the University of Minho. “Given our size, geographical relevance and experience in these fields of knowledge, as well as the partnerships already established with several members of the consortium, it was almost inevitable that we would be part of this project,” adds the researcher.
CMEMS-UMinho, from the School of Engineering of the University of Minho, was also involved from the beginning of the Quantum IberIA application. Within the scope of the project, the MNFab Lab of CMEMS-UMinho will actively participate in establishing and promoting the cross-border network of skills and capacities in quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
The MNFab Lab of CMEMS-UMinho focuses its research on quantum optics and photonics, namely in the areas of quantum computing, encrypted quantum communications and quantum medical imaging, thereby contributing to strengthening the consortium’s scientific and technological expertise.
Within Quantum IberIA, INESC TEC UMinho will also participate in the creation and promotion of this cross-border network, which covers the areas of research, development and education. The initiative aims to enhance knowledge and interaction among all those involved, enabling the identification of skills, the sharing of best practices and the attraction of talent among higher education students, researchers and the business community.
In addition, INESC TEC UMinho will contribute to the development of a demonstrator for the classical simulation of quantum systems, taking advantage of the computational resources made available by the consortium’s various partners.
Co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021–2027, the project’s kick-off meeting took place on 29 May, in Santiago de Compostela, at an event that brought together institutional representatives and partners.
Quantum IberIA is led by the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN) and has an overall budget of €8.9 million, with a duration of three years, running until the end of 2028.
In addition to INESC TEC, CMEMS-UMinho and the University of Minho, the project also includes, on the Portuguese side, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), the Universities of Évora and Aveiro, the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Norte) and FSAS Technologies. The Spanish partners are represented by GAIN, the Galician Public Foundation, the Galicia Supercomputing Technology Centre, FEUGA — the Galician Enterprise-University Foundation, the University of Santiago de Compostela, the University of A Coruña, the University of Vigo, the University of Extremadura, the Foundation for Computing and Advanced Technologies of Extremadura, the Supercomputing Centre of Castile and León and the Digital Agency of Andalusia.
