Korea, Switzerland prepare for the quantum future

Switzerland and Korea may be poised to open a new chapter on quantum technology together, said Guy Parmelin, a federal councilor of Switzerland, in addressing a group of quantum scientists from Switzerland and Korea at a nanoscience center in...

Jonathan Home, professor of physics at ETH Zurich, speaks at a quantum science forum organized by the Swiss Embassy in Seoul at the IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience at Ewha Womans University on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Switzerland and Korea may be poised to open a new chapter on quantum technology together, said Guy Parmelin, a federal councilor of Switzerland, in addressing a group of quantum scientists from Switzerland and Korea at a nanoscience center in Seoul.

“Quantum technology is a highly complex field requiring cooperation among the brightest minds all over the world, no one can do it all by themselves,” said Parmelin Thursday, addressing a room packed with experts from ETH Zurich, University of Basel, Switzerland Innovation and Korean research organizations at the Quantum Nanoscience Center of Ewha Womans University.

“So, we need to develop quantum technologies under the paradigm of democratic values such as openness and transparency, which requires mutual trust and political commitment of like-minded countries with shared values,” he added, calling Korea one such partner.

Parmelin was speaking at the forum “Preparing for the Age of Quantum” organized by the Swiss Embassy in Seoul in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and ICT. The venue of the forum, the Quantum Nanoscience Center, was established by the university and Institute of Basic Science in Korea in 2017, under the leadership of its current director Andreas Heinrich, a former IBM researcher who now teaches physics at Ewha.

Some of the brightest Swiss and Korean minds on quantum tech joined the forum, such as Andreas Wallraff, director of the Quantum Center of ETH Zurich, and Lee Soon-chil, a physics professor at Kaist and director of the Quantum Technology Division at the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Wallraff was also among a group of quantum experts who met with President Yoon Suk Yeol during his visit to Switzerland in January.

Quantum computing has been floated by advanced economies worldwide as a next-generation technology to solve seemingly impossible problems such as finding medical solutions to thus-far incurable diseases, by use of quantum mechanics.

Swiss and Korean quantum scientists attend a forum at the IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience on Ewha Womans University campus in Seoul on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Switzerland embarked on its quantum research journey earlier than many.

“Decades of Swiss quantum innovation can be traced to the founding of the company ID Quantique in 2000,” said Jonathan Home, professor of physics at ETH Zurich.

A study and demonstration of error correction in quantum computing by Wallraff and a team of ETH Zurich researchers, published last year, is considered an example of pioneering research in the field.

The forum, hosted as part of a series of events to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Switzerland and Korea this year, was held alongside back-to-back meetings between the two countries on science and technology this week.

The Ministry of Science and ICT met with the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation in Seoul on Tuesday to host the sixth joint science, technology and innovation committee meeting to discuss cooperation in not only quantum science but also in bio and digital industries. The joint committee meeting was inaugurated in 2008.

Parmelin is scheduled to sign a joint declaration with Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho on Friday to strengthen bilateral cooperation on research, especially in digital transformation, biotechnology and quantum technologies.

The ministry also held a roundtable discussion with quantum scientists from the United States in Seoul on Wednesday. The American delegation was led by Prineha Narang, professor of physics at UCLA and a special envoy on science appointed by the Joe Biden administration.

Considered a latecomer in the race for quantum tech worldwide, Korea is trying to play catchup and is scheduled to pass a law on the technology this year.

“The goal is to become a leading country in strategic quantum technology by 2030,” said Lee, speaking at the forum. “If the bill is passed in the Assembly this year, we expect public funding for quantum tech research to rise from the current $85 million to double that next year.”

There are some 30 universities, seven institutions and more than 30 companies including LG and Hyundai working on quantum technology, and at least six joint projects between Korea and the United States on the technology, and four between Korea and European nations, Lee said.

“Both Korea and Switzerland are actively pursuing development on quantum technology, and I think there are many similar common interests,” said Oh Tae-seog, first vice minister of science and ICT. “If we share our experience and know-how in these areas, we can reach new heights.”

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]