Deutsche Telekom and Lufthansa Industry Solutions join the Quantum Technology & Application Consortium

Berlin, 02.02.2022 – The Quantum Technology & Application Consortium (QUTAC) welcomes two new members: In addition to the founding members BASF, BMW Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bosch, Infineon, Merck, Munich Re, SAP, Siemens and Volkswagen, Deutsche Telekom AG and Lufthansa Industry Solutions GmbH & Co. KG have joined the consortium for the industrial exploitation of quantum computing. Thus, just about six months after its founding on June 10, 2021, QUTAC admits its first new members and for the first time also represents the German telecommunications and aviation industries.

Quantum Computing in Telecommunications and the Aviation Industry

“We are pleased to welcome Deutsche Telekom and Lufthansa Industry Solutions as two additional leading German companies to QUTAC, that will bring essential application areas of quantum computing from their industries to the consortium,” said Dr. Reinhard Ploss, Chairman of the QUTAC Executive Committee and CEO of Infineon Technologies AG. “We are thus taking another important step on the road towards an economically successful quantum computing ecosystem and to strengthening the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe.”

With T-Labs, Deutsche Telekom AG will primarily dedicate itself to developing quantum computing applications in telecommunications. It will use its experience to drive these forward. This includes topics such as the implementation of quantum algorithms in the field of network optimization and planning, the construction of quantum cryptographic platforms, and the harnessing of quantum mechanical properties for novel communication and coordination possibilities.

“We see quantum technology as one of the key technologies that will allow us to take the next step forward, in light of the enormous global digital communication and coordination requirements that await us in the future,” says Alex Choi, Senior Vice President, Technology & Innovation.

Lufthansa Industry Solutions GmbH & Co. KG will focus on air traffic applications such as quantum computing-based optimization of maintenance processes, flight plan and flight routes, gate assignment and air cargo distribution. With these application problems, the Lufthansa subsidiary is focusing on scheduling and routing problems in the aviation industry.

“We want to drive and invest in innovation to help our customers succeed in a strong market environment,” emphasizes Jörn Messner, Managing Director of Lufthansa Industry Solutions. “Quantum computing is a significant technology of the future, and our goal is to foster a cross-industry and open exchange, to drive innovation and be able to launch directly once the technology is widely available.”

QUTAC starts operative work

Less than eight months after its founding, QUTAC has also laid the foundation for the operational work of its members. In a position paper published by Springer Open, the consortium provides an overview of the state of quantum computing in the industries of its member companies and identifies 24 use cases in which it will drive industrial use. On this basis, QUTAC has successfully begun operational implementation. Members are collaborating in working groups to develop specific applications. These include the topics of materials research, production and logistics, engineering and design, and quantum systems. News about the consortium’s work is published on the central platform at www.qutac.de.