QUTAC - Quantum Technology & Application Consortium

Volkswagen Takes Over QUTAC-Chairmanship from July 2026

As of July 1st, 2026, the Volkswagen Group takes over the rotating chairmanship of the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC) from TRUMPF – a planned change that builds on the momentum of the first half of the year. As one of the largest industrial adopters of future technologies, Volkswagen introduces specific fields of application to the consortium’s work, including cases in mobility, manufacturing, and materials research, with a focus on where quantum algorithms can first deliver productive value.

The new leadership team consists of Nikolai Ardey (Chairperson of the Executive Committee) and Jens Fliegner (Chairperson of the Steering Committee), complemented by Sabine Spell and Roman Firt.

QUTAC would like to express our sincere thanks to Berthold Schmidt, Florian Dommert, and the entire TRUMPF leadership team for their exemplary chairmanship in the first half of 2026.

Five Years of QUTAC: Celebrating Collaboration and Looking Ahead

QUTAC marked its fifth anniversary with a two-day celebration dedicated to reflection, exchange and the future of industrial quantum computing.

On 10 and 11 June 2026, QUTAC brought together members, founders and partners to celebrate five years of collaboration in the quantum computing ecosystem. What began in 2021 as a consortium of leading companies with a clear industrial focus has developed into a strong platform for exchange, application-oriented collaboration, and shared thought leadership.

QUTAC Expert Talk with Russell Stutz (Quantinuum)

On May 4, QUTAC welcomed Russell Stutz, Senior Director of Product Technologies at Quantinuum, for an Expert Talk on the company’s newly unveiled Helios platform.

Russell shared exclusive insights into the 98-qubit system, including its barium-ion architecture, the ion-junction design with a rotatable storage ring enabling all-to-all connectivity, and the new Guppy programming language. With record-breaking gate fidelities and GPU-accelerated real-time control, Helios marks a tangible step towards enterprise-grade quantum computing and signals a clear direction for the future of trapped-ion hardware.

For QUTAC’s industrial end-user community, these insights offer a valuable exchange with the pioneers shaping the next phase of quantum computing. 

QUTAC would like to thank Russell Stutz and all attendees for their participation.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this news post are solely those of QUTAC and are not affiliated with Quantinuum.

QUTAC Expert Talk with Prof. Scott Aaronson

QUTAC recently had the privilege of hosting an in-depth Q&A session with Prof. Scott Aaronson from the University of Texas at Austin. One of the most influential and famously plainspoken voices in the quantum computing community. 

Prof. Aaronson shared his perspectives on the latest research advancements, reflected on QUTAC’s own research results, and discussed how the industrial end-user community is currently approaching quantum computing, along with the potential implications for QUTAC’s work. His commitment to scientific outreach is also reflected in his widely read blog. 

We would like to congratulate Prof. Aaronson on two recent milestones: receiving the prestigious Luca Trevisan Award for Expository Work in Theoretical Computer Science, and being elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. 

QUTAC would like to thank Prof. Aaronson for the clarity and candor of his contribution, as well as the entire QUTAC community for the questions and enthusiasm.  

German and French partners strengthen cooperation on quantum technologies

On May 12, 2026, over a hundred high-level representatives from German and French industry, policy, start-up and investment sectors will gathered for a reception hosted by the German Ambassador to France, His Excellency Mr Stefan Steinlein, with the support of the French Embassy in Germany. This event reflected the growing importance of quantum technologies for Europe’s technological and industrial sovereignty, building on the German-French agenda agreed in August 2025. Germany and France are home to some of the world’s leading players in this field.

Photo Copyright: Simon Cassanas

New OECD Paper on Business Readiness for Quantum Computing with participation from QUTAC

How can businesses strategically build their quantum readiness? The OECD provides key insights in a new paper.

The latest OECD – OCDE Digital Economy Paper, “Building Business Readiness for Quantum Computing”, systematically examines how companies can prepare for the commercial use of quantum computing, highlighting common barriers that stand in the way. The study is based on interviews with 16 public and private organizations across 10 countries, including QUTAC.

TRUMPF Takes Over QUTAC-Chairmanship from January 2026

As of January 1, 2026, TRUMPF will take over the leadership of the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC) – a regular change that offers new perspectives and further strengthens the interdisciplinary nature of the consortium’s collaboration.

As a technology-driven company with strong ties to mechanical engineering, networked manufacturing and laser technology, TRUMPF will contribute specific fields of application to the consortium’s work. In addition to the overarching QUTAC topics addressed by the working groups, we aim to place a focus on post-quantum cryptography to secure data in the quantum era and on photonic computing for the efficient use of AI. 

The new leadership team consists of Berthold Schmidt (Chairperson of the Executive Committee) and Florian Dommert (Chairperson of the Steering Committee).

QUTAC would like to express our sincere thanks to Abdu Mudesir, Oliver Holschke and Andreas Fier from Deutsche Telekom for actively leading the consortium in the second half of 2025. Their commitment has strengthened QUTAC’s visibility in German and European politics – for example through the DE-FR Quantum Dialogue and a side event at the EU summit on digital sovereignty. They also expanded internal knowledge exchange – an important step toward a shared positioning. 

QUTAC position paper on the EU Quantum Act

With the EU Quantum Act, the European Commission is sending a clear signal for the industrial application of quantum technologies. As the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC) – a consortium of 14 leading companies from Germany and Europe – we strongly welcome this political initiative. We see it as our responsibility to contribute our industry-driven expertise to the implementation and to specifically strengthen Europe’s innovative capacity in the field of quantum technologies.

In our position paper on the EU Quantum Act, we provide specific recommendations for action to effectively advance the industrial use of quantum technologies.

High-level breakfast at the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty

Strengthening quantum technologies is critical for Europe’s future and digital sovereignty. In this spirit, the French Embassy in Germany in Berlin, alongside QUTAC, hosted a high-level breakfast event as part of the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty. This summit, led by France and Germany, aims to accelerate the development of a sovereign digital future for Europe.

The exclusive side event focused on fostering multi-stakeholder cooperation through a French-German approach to quantum ecosystems. Special attention was given to end users, with selected representatives from politics, leading companies, quantum startups and scale-ups, and research institutions from both France and Germany in attendance.

Following an opening address from Dr. Petr Ledl (Deutsche Telekom), the event featured three keynotes from Emmanuel Suquet (Deputy Ambassador of France to Germany), Dr. Reinhard Ploss (Representative of QUTAC), and Dr. Niccolò Somaschi (CEO, Quandela). The speakers highlighted the essential role of quantum technology in securing Europe’s digital sovereignty.

The official conclusions from the Franco-German Dialogue of Quantum Technology Players were also publicly released. This dialogue, organized in September by QUTAC, Le Lab Quantique, Quandela, CEA, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, with support from the French Embassy in Berlin and the German Embassy in Paris, along with the European Champions Alliance, marked a significant step forward in shaping Europe’s quantum technology landscape.

Additionally, QUTAC presented its Quantum Computing Monitor (QC-Monitor), a tool designed to visualize Germany’s progress in the application of quantum computing. This initiative aims to support the ecosystem through regular monitoring and provide measurable insights via 24 regularly updated KPIs. The goal is to drive data-driven improvements and offer a clear outlook for the future of quantum computing.

Conclusions from the Franco-German Dialogue of Quantum Technology Players 2025

Quantum Technologies hold great economic potential. That is why it is in Europe’s interest to secure a leading position in their development and industrial application. The French German Dialogue of Quantum Technology Players on September 23, 2025 in Paris and Massy (France), was organized by the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC), Le lab Quantique, Quandela, CEA, Fraunhofer, with support from the French embassy in Germany and the German embassy in France. The dialogue brought together more than 60 experts, managers and decision-makers from innovation, corporates, research and public authorities from France and Germany. Following the dialogue, participants identified the following key challenges for building Europe’s quantum future.

The state of quantum technology in Germany – QUTAC Quantum Computing Monitor

QUTAC’s mission is to lead quantum computing towards a successful industrial application. But to unlock the technology’s economic potential, we must first understand and strengthen the ecosystem that enables it.  

The QUTAC Quantum Computing Monitor is a framework of 24 key performance indicators designed to assess the German quantum technology ecosystem’s progress and challenges. Thus, with this monitor, QUTAC makes Germany’s performance in quantum application visible and measurable.  

Such data creates a valuable basis for analysis, which should also guide Germany’s industrial policies, such as the new High-Tech Agenda. Thus, QUTAC is happy to be part of the agenda’s kick-off event on October 10, 2025 and to share further insights from the monitor with decision-makers from both industry and politics.  

The latest update of our Quantum Computing Monitor with the 2025 dataset is online now on the QUTAC website.

QUTAC guest article in Tagesspiegel on the High-Tech Agenda

In a guest article in Tagesspiegel, QUTAC representatives Dr. Reinhard Ploss and Caroline Bürsgens formulate five recommendations for the successful implementation of the German government’s High-Tech Agenda.  

Based on findings from the position paper and the consortium’s Quantum Computing Monitor, they outline the conditions for a successful industrialization initiative in quantum computing. 

Their five most important recommendations are: 

To this end, industrial cooperation must be strengthened while quantum technologies are considered holistically. At the same time, Germany must invest in quantum technologies broadly as well as in the development and retention of skilled workers, successful governance and EU-wide cooperation specifically.

Digital guest lecture by Prof. Dr. Robert Wille from the Technical University of Munich

On October 15, QUTAC welcomed Prof. Dr. Robert Wille from the Technical University of Munich for an inspiring digital guest lecture on the topic of “Software for Quantum Computing”.

Prof. Dr. Wille highlighted the crucial role of software development in making quantum computers successfully usable for future users. In his presentation, he addressed key challenges such as fault tolerance and quantum error correction, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, and the transition from academic research to industrial application.

Together with the audience, he also discussed topics such as building a software stack and the resources needed to handle real-world use cases.

QUTAC would like to thank Prof. Dr. Wille and all attendees for their participation.

QUTAC website has a new structure

The Quantum Technology & Application Consortium (QUTAC) has restructured its website. Under the new tab “Our Work”, site visitors can now find information about the consortium’s active working groups and an overview of all scientific papers published within the platform. The new “Blog” tab offers the latest news as well as in-depth articles providing insights into the consortium. In addition, the content on members and press has been integrated into the “About QUTAC” tab and presented in a new format. The website’s home page has been updated accordingly.

German-French Quantum Technology Dialogue in Paris

On September 23, 2025, the German-French Quantum Technology Dialogue took place in Paris and Massy. Sixty representatives from research, industry, start-ups, and politics from France and Germany met for a morning session at Station F (Paris) and an afternoon session on the Quandela premises (Massy). Various formats offered participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for cooperation.

A detailed report can be found in our press release on the event.

QUTAC at AIDAQ 2025

Quantum technologies continue to move from the lab towards industrial application. QUTAC member companies are paving the way. At AIDAQ 2025 (September 16-17, Berlin), organized by Bitkom, five of our consortium companies will be represented with six speakers. In their presentations, they will demonstrate some of the potential use cases of quantum technologies in aerospace, automotive, optimization, and telecommunications. The speakers from our member companies are: Dr. Moriz Scharpenberg (Airbus), Dr. Albana Topi (Airbus), Dr. Marvin Erdmann (BMW Group), Daniela Theisinger (Deutsche Telekom), Maximilian Hess (Infineon Technologies) and Florian Krellner (SAP).

Position paper on the German government's high-tech agenda

The German government's high-tech agenda provides an important impetus for quantum computing, quantum sensor technology, and quantum communication as strategic fields of the future. As a consortium of 14 leading companies in Germany and Europe, we welcome the clear commitment to quantum technologies and to strengthening our country's technological sovereignty. We see it as our task to help shape the implementation of the agenda and support the federal government in its work.

QUTAC Material Science Working Group publishes new paper in Journal of Physics Communications

On July 7, 2025, the QUTAC Material Science Working Group has published a new paper, “Generating approximate ground states of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems through quantum imaginary time evolution” in the Journal of Physics Communications.

The analysis helps chart a realistic path toward practical quantum advantage in materials science, identifying both opportunities and challenges that need addressing as we move toward fault-tolerant quantum computers.

For more information on the paper, as well as on our other publications, please have a look at “Our Work”.

Deutsche Telekom Takes Over QUTAC-Chairmanship from July 2025

From July 2025, Deutsche Telekom will take over the chairmanship of the Quantum Technology & Application Consortium (QUTAC) from Siemens – a regular change that brings fresh momentum and emphasizes the strength of collective responsibility.

With its proven expertise in network technologies and quantum communication, Deutsche Telekom will focus on areas particularly relevant for the industrial implementation of quantum technologies. The goal is to sustainably shift the focus to the application side of quantum computing, refining corresponding initiatives. Furthermore, existing expertise on the transition to quantum security within the consortium will be consolidated and channeled. The new leadership will be Claudia Nemat (Chairperson of the Executive Committee) and Dr. Oliver Holschke (Chairperson of the Steering Committee).

The whole consortium kindly thanks Peter Koerte, Norbert Gaus Christoph Niedermeier and Dr. Stefan Saatmann from Siemens for leading the first half of 2025 with great dedication and advancing important milestones. Their leadership has helped to strengthen QUTAC as a strategic platform for technology transfer.

Recommendations to Strengthen Germany's Quantum Ecosystem

The German government's “Quantum Technologies Action Plan” was a key step towards creating a national quantum ecosystem. Thanks to funding of around three billion euros, important research projects were launched and start-ups were also supported. With funding set to expire at the end of 2025, the commitment to this key future technology for our country must be renewed.

Early Investing in Quantum Computing – Bernhard Kube, CTO at Lufthansa Industry Solutions Knows: Early Movers Reap the Benefits

How can companies identify the right moment to address industrial application for quantum computing? Bernhard Kube, Chief Technology Officer at Lufthansa Industry Solutions, explains what lessons industry can learn from the current situation in the field of artificial intelligence, what this means for quantum computing and what kind of political support is needed to create a successful quantum ecosystem.

Quantum Technology in Germany — a Joint Path to Value Creation in Industry

What can and must be done to bring quantum technology and especially quantum computing to industrial application in Germany? At our panel at World of QUANTUM on June 28th at Messe München, we discussed this question with experts from different areas of the German quantum ecosystem—because we believe in open exchange and collaborative efforts.

Production & Logistics: Quantum algorithms for multi-knapsack optimization problems

Optimizing modern supply chains is one of the most important potential application areas for quantum computing. In our new paper submitted to the Computing Conference 2023, we explore the potential of the technology in solving application-oriented optimization problems.

"For an innovation to achieve impact, it’s a question of applicability, not technological potential."

Quantum computing is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, investments that go beyond funding the further development of hardware are crucial to this phase, says Dr.-Ing. Susan Wegner, Vice President for Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics at Lufthansa Industry Solutions. In our interview, she explains why her company joined QUTAC, how it is involved in the consortium and what digital sovereignty means to her.

“Only markets make the development of quantum solutions economically attractive.”

The industrialisation of quantum computing requires not only basic technology, but also a functioning market, says Dr. Andre Luckow, Head of the Department for New Technologies at BMW Group IT. In this interview, he explains how QUTAC intends to strengthen the development of industrial applications and hot the BMW Group, both within the consortium and beyond, is involved in the field of quantum computing.

"Quantum computing will become a key enabling technology"

Quantum technologies will trigger a series of disruptive innovations, says BASF Chairman of the Board Dr. Martin Brudermüller. In an interview, he explains what we can expect from this new technology, the challenges involved in its development and why now is exactly the right time to establish an industry consortium like QUTAC.