Quantum Technology training for policymakers - 1st training series

The training sessions cover:

Click on the links below to be directed to the sessions and find more information.

• European QT Ecosystem and Roadmap (June 2023)
• Efforts and investments in QT beyond the EU (July 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Sensing (September 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Metrology (October 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Communication (December 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Computing (February 2024)
• Use cases: Quantum Simulation (March 2024)
• QT state of the art: Part 1 (May 2024)
• QT state of the art: Part 2 (June 2024)

Contacts persons:

Oxana Mishina (CNR-INO) oxana.mishina@ino.cnr.it
Costanza Toninelli (CNR-INO) costanza.toninelli@ino.cnr.it 

Oxana works as the Italian National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council CNR-INO within the Coordination and Support Action of the European Quantum Flagship. She contributes to the areas of education and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the European Quantum Technology community by creating and coordinating the QTEdu.eu community (>400 members), organising the Quantum Technology training for policymakers, coordinating the Equity&Inclusion working group at QTEdu.eu (>100 members) and being a member of the EDI WG since 2018. Oxana is also an experienced science communicator, having been a Quantum Ambassador in schools since 2015 and having organised and participated in numerous outreach events in France, Germany and Italy, such as the Italian Quantum Weeks, which developed 20 Italian cities.

1st session: European Quantum Technology Ecosystem and Roadmap

with Tommaso Calarco
moderated by Lydia Sanmartí-Vila

1 June 2023
11:30 CET - 12 :10 CET

About the speaker:

Prof. Dr. Tommaso Calarco has pioneered the application of quantum optimal control methods to quantum computation and to many-body quantum systems. Currently the Director of the Institute for Quantum Control of the Peter Grünberg Institute at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Professor of Quantum Information at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the University of Cologne, Tommaso received his PhD at the University of Ferrara and started to work as a postdoc in the group of P. Zoller at the University of Innsbruck. He was appointed as a Senior Researcher at the BEC Centre in Trento in 2004 and as a Professor for Physics at the University of Ulm in 2007, where he then became Director of the Institute for Complex Quantum Systems and of the Centre for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology. He has authored in 2016 the Quantum Manifesto, which initiated the European Commission’s Quantum Flagship initiative, and is currently the Chairman of one of the Flagship’s Governing Bodies: The Quantum Community Network (QCN). In 2020, together with the QCN, he has launched an initiative towards the creation of a consortium of European quantum industries, which has been legally established in 2021 under the name of European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC).

She leads the science and art program at ICFO and is active in activities around equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), chairing the Quantum Flagship’s working group as well as the Thematic Committee of the Quantum Coordination Board. Lydia has a degree in biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a doctorate in neurobiology from the Otto von Guericke University in Germany, and has extensive international experience.

2nd session: Efforts and investments beyond the EU

with Prof. Gretchen Campbell, Deputy Director, National Quantum Coordination Office, US
and Prof. Kenji Ohmori, Chair of the committee for Quantum Science and Technology Policy, MEXT, Japan

moderated by Caroline Sevin, Project assistant in charge of international cooperation (InCoQFlag project), CEA, France

6 July 2023
14:00 CET - 14 :45 CET

About the speakers:

Prof. Gretchen Campbell is indeed a renowned experimental physicist known for her groundbreaking contributions to the field of atomic and optical physics. She currently holds the position of Deputy Director for the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this role, she plays a crucial part in coordinating Quantum Information Science (QIS) programs across the Federal Government.

Dr. Campbell began her academic journey by obtaining a B.A. in Physics from Wellesley College in 2001. She then pursued her Ph.D. at MIT, which she completed in 2007. To further enhance her skills and knowledge, she undertook an NRC postdoctoral fellowship at JILA and NIST in Boulder, Colorado from 2007 to 2009.

Currently, Professor Campbell holds a position on detail from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and serves as the co-director of the Joint Quantum Institute, which is a collaborative institute between NIST and the University of Maryland. In addition to these roles, she is the Group Leader for the Laser Cooling and Trapping group in the Quantum Measurement Division at NIST. Her expertise also extends to serving as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland.

Prof. Kenji Ohmori is a Chair Professor at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan. After receiving his Ph.D. from The University of Tokyo in 1992, he was a Research Associate and an Associate Professor at Tohoku University. In 2003 he was appointed a Full Professor at IMS.

Professor Ohmori is currently leading large-scale / long-term national projects on the development of ultrafast quantum simulators and quantum computers (2018-2030) generously supported with priority by the MEXT and Cabinet Office of the government of Japan, expected as one of the top runners in quantum technologies.

He has been celebrated with many honors. Highlights include the Japan Academy Medal (2007), Fellow of the American Physical Society (2009), Humboldt Research Award from the government of Germany (2012), and Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of MEXT (2018). Most recently, in November 2021, he was awarded a national honor, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan for his achievements on quantum physics. The Medal with Purple Ribbon is awarded for inventions and discoveries in science and technology, and for outstanding achievements in the fields of science, sports, art and culture.

He is currently serving as the Chair of the Committee for Quantum Science and Technology Policy, MEXT, Japan since 2023, after serving as the Vice Chair of the same committee from 2015-2022.

Prior to her current role, Caroline worked at the Ministry of Armed Forces in the Air Force bilateral cooperation office, as well as for a consulting group specialising in the public sector. She holds a master's degree in international relations with a focus on defense and security. During her time in the master's program, she wrote two theses: "Defense according to Narendra Modi, between strategic autonomy and operational needs" and "NATO policy in the Arctic: towards an increased Alliance presence in the region?"

3rd session: Use cases: Quantum Sensing

with Prof. Morgan W. Mitchell, Professor at The Institute of Photonic Sciences ICFO, Spain
and Dr. Thomas Strohm, Vice President at the Governing Board at QuIC, Germany

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO, Italy
and Dr. Thomas Strohm, Vice President at the Governing Board at QuIC

5 September 2023
12:00 CET - 13:30 CET

About the speakers:

Prof. Morgan W. Mitchell received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999 and is an ICREA Professor at ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences, where he leads the Atomic Quantum Optics research group. His research has focused on quantum aspects of light-matter interactions, with a particular interest in how quantum effects can be used to enhance the sensitivity of practical atomic instruments, such as optically pumped atomic magnetometers.

His work on the fundamentals of quantum sensing includes the first generation of three-photon path-entangled "NOON" states and their use for Heisenberg-limited super-resolution in 2004, the first quantum improvements to optical magnetometry using squeezed light in 2010, and using squeezed atomic states in 2012. In 2013, he pioneered the use of entangled photons to achieve ultra-smooth optical measurement. He demonstrated complete avoidance of measurement backlash in a cold-atom atomic magnetometer in 2017, and squeezed-light enhancement of a highly sensitive vapour-phase magnetometer in 2021. In 2022, he showed that a Bose-Einstein condensate magnetometer can surpass the so-called hbar limit on energy resolution (a combined measure of spatial, temporal and field resolution), which no magnetometer of any kind had previously surpassed. Closer to applications, in the Quantum Technologies Flagship project MACQSIMAL,

Prof. Mitchell contributed to the development of miniaturised atomic gyroscopes and led the miniaturised optically pumped magnetometers work package to enable applications in medical imaging, research that continues in the EIC Transition project 'Optically Pumped Magnetometers for Magnetoencephalography' (OPMMEG). He has also contributed to entanglement-enhanced atomic clocks in collaboration with the national metrology institutes SYRTE and INRIM in 2022, and to new applications for atomic sensors such as ultra-low field magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging in 2020-3.

He was awarded an ERC Starting Grant in 2011, two ERC Proof-of-Concept Grants and an ERC Advanced Grant in 2023. In 2017, he co-founded the start-up company Quside Technologies SL, which now employs 35 people in the Barcelona area.

Dr. Thomas Strohm received his PhD in 1999 from the MPI for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany, where he did theoretical work on high-temperature superconductors. Thomas then joined Corporate Research at Robert Bosch GmbH, where he worked for more than 10 years in software engineering research and as a system and software architect. In 2013, he started to build up Bosch's research activities in quantum technologies.

Currently, Thomas is the chief expert for quantum technologies at Bosch. Bosch has R&D activities in quantum computing applications and quantum sensing. Until recently, Thomas contributed to two EU-funded projects, the Quantum Flagship's Coordination and Support Action QFlag and QRANGE, a project on quantum random number generators. In 2020, he was a key figure in the establishment of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), where he serves as vice president and working group leader. He also represents QuIC on the Strategic Advisory Board of the Quantum Flagship. Thomas is also a member of the Steering Committee of the German Quantum Technology and Applications Consortium (QUTAC). Thomas contributes technical work to QUTAC's quantum systems working group and to Bosch's quantum magnetometer R&D project.

4th session: Use cases: Quantum Metrology

with Dr. Nicolas Spethmann, Head of "Quantum Technology Center QTZ", PTB, Germany
and Dr. Davide Calonico, Head of Division "Quantum Metrology and Nanotech", INRIM, Italy

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO, Italy
and Dr. Nicolas Spethmann, Coordinator of the Innovation Cluster for Quantum Technology, PTB, Germany

9 October 2023
11:00 CET - 12:00 CET

About the speakers:

Dr. Davide Calonico is a distinguished scientist and researcher at the National Institute for Metrological Research (INRIM) in Italy. With a career spanning several decades, Davide has made significant contributions to the field of precision measurement and metrology.
A leading expert in his field, Davide's work has focused primarily on the development and improvement of optical atomic clocks and frequency standards. His pioneering research has played a key role in improving the accuracy and reliability of timekeeping technology, with far-reaching implications for various scientific disciplines, including global positioning systems, telecommunications and fundamental physics.

Davide Calonico is widely recognised for his exceptional expertise in metrology and precision measurement. His dedication to pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of researchers make him an invaluable asset to the scientific community and a respected figure at INRIM, Italy and beyond.

Dr. Nicolas Spethmann obtained his PhD in 2012 in the group "Quantum Technology with Single Neutral Atoms" at the University of Bonn. He then received a Marie Curie outgoing fellowship from the European Commission at the University of California, Berkeley, where he conducted research on force sensing at the quantum limit and quantum-limited coupling of cold atomic gases via photons. In 2017, he joined the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt working on quantum logic spectroscopy. From 2020 to 2023, he was vice-chair of the CEN-CENELEC focus group on quantum technology, which resulted in a roadmap for standardisation of QT. Nicolas is now co-chair of the newly created CEN/CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 22 Quantum Technology, which builds on this work. Since 2021, he is also Vice-Chair of IMEKO's Technical Committee 25 "Quantum Measurement and Information", which promotes international cooperation in quantum technology.

In his role as head of the Quantum Technology Centre (QTZ) at PTB, Dr. Spethmann leads collaborative efforts that bridge the gap between fundamental quantum research and real-world applications by developing and providing metrology for quantum technology. Under his leadership, the QTZ coordinates several related activities, such as the umbrella project "Quantum Communication Germany SQuaD", the "Cluster for Future QVLS-iLabs" and the high-tech incubator "QVLS-HTI".

5th session: Use cases: Quantum Communication

with Dr. Eleni Diamanti, CNRS Research Director at Sorbonne University,
Tommaso Occhipinti, Co-Founder and CEO at QTI SRL, Founder and CEO at Oengineering SRL, IT and
Vanesa Diaz, CEO at LuxQuanta

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO

14 December 2023
11:00 CET - 12:00 CET

About the speaker:

Dr. Eleni Diamanti is CNRS research director at the LIP6 laboratory of Sorbonne University in Paris. She received her Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in 2000 and her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2006. She then worked as a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Optics Graduate School in Palaiseau before joining CNRS in 2009. Her research focuses on experimental quantum cryptography and communication, and on the development of photonic resources and applications for quantum networks. She is a recipient of a European Research Council Starting Grant, coordinator of the Paris Centre for Quantum Technologies, and an elected member of the Board of Stakeholders of the European Public Private Partnership in Photonics. She is also the co-founder and scientific advisor of the start-up Welinq.

Tommaso Occhipinti is the CEO of QTI s.r.l., Quantum Telecommunication Italy. He began his career in 2002 in the academic research field of quantum astronomy and quantum communication, earning a Ph.D. in Telecommunication Engineering from Padova University. In the subsequent years, he ventured into entrepreneurship, founding innovative start-ups, and in 2020, he was among the co-founders of QTI. As the CEO of QTI, he is responsible for the Italian and international development of the market, collaborating with the business developers of TIM, Telsy, and Sparkle companies. He actively participates in national and international congresses, conferences, and institutional events to promote the use of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in all strategic market segments and institutions.

Vanesa Diaz is the CEO of LuxQuanta, bringing to the role over 20 years of expertise in the optical fiber industry gained from working with one of the largest multinationals in the sector. She adeptly oversees the company's activities related to business development, strategic partnerships, and investor relationships, demonstrating an exceptional blend of technical and business knowledge. Diaz's background is rooted in her MSc in Telecommunications and a master’s in business and marketing from Griffith University in Australia. Leading with vision and determination, Vanesa is propelling innovation in CV-QKD while establishing LuxQuanta as an industry reference.

6th session: Use cases: Computing

with  Dr. Araceli Venegas-Gomez, CEO and Founder of QURECA (ES, UK), Governing Board Member at European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC)
and Dr. Martin Knufinke, Senior Expert Quantum Computing at Atos (DE), Board Member at European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC)

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO

1 February 2024
11:00 CET - 12:00 CET

About the speaker:

Dr. Araceli Venegas-Gomez spent several years working as an aerospace engineer for Airbus in Germany and France before discovering her passion for quantum mechanics. Motivated by this newfound interest, she relocated to Scotland to pursue a Ph.D. in quantum simulation at the University of Strathclyde.

After engaging with various quantum stakeholders, Araceli recognised the importance of bridging the gap between businesses and academia, as well as raising awareness about quantum technologies in the general public. As part of her commitment to quantum outreach, she earned the title of "quantum ambassador" by winning the Optical Society Milton and Rosalind Chang Pivoting Fellowship in 2019.

Araceli went on to establish her own company, QURECA (Quantum Resources and Careers), with the goal of fostering connections among different stakeholders in the quantum community through a common language. The company also aims to create global opportunities in quantum technologies. QURECA provides a range of professional services, including business development, and addresses the quantum workforce skills bottleneck by offering the first online platform for quantum training and resourcing. This platform supports both individuals and businesses in becoming active participants in the quantum revolution

Dr. Martin Knufinke received his PhD in experimental physics in 2013 working on superconducting circuits interfacing ultracold atoms. Martin then joined Eviden in 2014 where he works in the field of HPC for the automotive industry.

Martin joined the Eviden quantum programme in 2018. Starting 2020, Eviden was founding member of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC) where Martin acts as work group lead. Since 2023, Martin is also Governing Board member of QuIC, pushing quantum technologies at the European level.

7th session: Use cases: Simulations

with  Prof. Leonardo Fallani, Università degli Studi di Firenze & LENS

and Dr.  Elvira Shishenina, Quantum Computing Team Lead at BMW Group - Central Invention

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO

14 March 2024
12:00 CET - 13:00 CET

About the speaker:

Leonardo Fallani is a Professor of Physics at the University of Florence (Italy) and a Research Associate of LENS European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy. His research expertise lies in the field of experimental atomic and optical physics, focusing particularly on laser cooling, high-precision spectroscopy, ultracold quantum gases, disordered atomic systems, and many-body atomic physics.

At the University of Florence, he leads a research group exploring novel approaches for quantum simulation with ultracold two-electron fermions, integrating many-body physics with metrological techniques of quantum control. He has authored over 60 publications in international journals and books, and has been an invited speaker at more than 60 international conferences.

In 2015, he was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant for the investigation of topological states of matter using synthetic ultracold systems.

Dr. Elvira Shishenina leads the Quantum Computing research team at BMW Group Central Invention, where she explores the native applications of the technology in the automotive value chain. Previously, she played a pivotal role in establishing the first quantum computing initiative at Total Energies and in developing the initial in-house codes for chemistry and linear algebra.

An alumna of the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique Paris-Saclay, with a Ph.D. in mathematics from the French National Institute for Digital Science and Technology, INRIA, Dr. Shishenina is renowned for her contributions to the global quantum computing ecosystem. As the president and founder of the not-for-profit associations QuantX and Le Lab Quantique, she has forged a worldwide network through business-tech QC hackathons and established the first house of quantum in France, "La Maison du Quantique," located in Paris.

8th session: QT state of the art (Part 1)

with  Prof. Francesco Saverio Cataliotti, Director of CNR-INO, University of Florence

and Dr. Salvatore Cinà, Program Director, Quantum Technologies, CEA

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO

16 May 2024
11:00 CET - 12:00 CET

About the speaker:

Dr. Salvatore Cinà is the Program Director for Quantum Technologies at CEA. He was previously responsible for technology transfer and for establishing and managing strategic industrial partnerships. Earlier in his career, he served as the Deputy Head of the Optoelectronic Department at CEA-LETI, as well as the Executive Director of the III-V Lab, a joint venture between CEA, Thales, and Nokia. As a scientist, he conducted research at the University of Cambridge on poly-Si thin-film transistors, at the Toshiba Cambridge Research Centre on III-V semiconductor devices, at Cambridge Display Technology on organic-based optoelectronic devices, and at Thomson on the development of OLED-based displays. Salvatore has a degree in Physics from the University of Rome, and a PhD in Semiconductor Physics from the University of Cambridge.

Francesco Saverio Cataliotti is a Full Professor of the Structure of Matter at the University of Florence, Italy. He holds membership in the Board of the Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Division of the European Physical Society, as well as in the Research Council of the European Association of Metrological Institutes.

His research revolves around the physics of atoms and their interactions with laser radiation. He has taken charge of numerous European projects concerning quantum technologies. Notably, he represented Italy in the FET Flagship Board of Funders and in the Board of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure.

Since 2021, he has held the position of Director at the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR), overseeing CNR's involvement in the Quantum Technologies initiatives of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

9th session: QT state of the art (Part 2)

with Prof. Yasser Omar, Professor at IST, ULisbon & President of PQI – Portuguese Quantum Institute

and Dr. Venkatesh Kannan, Associate Director at ICHEC, HPCQS lead for Use-Cases and Demonstrators

moderated by Diana Tartaglia, CNR-INO

20 June 2024
11:00 CET - 12:00 CET

About the speaker:

Prof. Yasser Omar studied Physics at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, Portugal, and completed his PhD on Quantum Information at the University of Oxford, UK. He is currently a professor at IST, University of Lisbon, where he leads the Physics of Information and Quantum Technologies Group and is a corresponding member of the Portuguese Academy of Sciences. His research interests focus on quantum computation, quantum networks, and the energetics of quantum technologies. He has secured funding for a dozen European projects and one American project in these domains. In 2019, he founded the Quantum Technologies Laboratory at IST, where free-space quantum communications were implemented for the first time in Portugal. In 2022, he co-founded the European Quantum Software Institute (EQSI). He was the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of CERN's Quantum Technology Initiative from 2021 to 2023. He has been involved in the creation and coordination of the Quantum Flagship. He is also the president of the Portuguese Quantum Institute (PQI). In 2022, he launched, together with colleagues from over 65 countries, World Quantum Day – 14 April, a global outreach initiative, and he is involved in promoting 2025 as a year dedicated to celebrating quantum science and technology.

Dr. Venkatesh Kannan serves as the Associate Director at the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC), Ireland's national centre for high-performance computing (HPC) and data management. At ICHEC, Venkatesh is instrumental in defining and implementing the centre’s vision and strategy for technological solutions related to HPC and federated data services. His leadership encompasses the design and development of advanced HPC and data platforms, working collaboratively with national and international partners across academia, industry, and the public sector. With a focus on cutting-edge technologies, Venkatesh's expertise includes federated data spaces, digital twin technology platforms, high-performance data analytics (HPDA), AI, edge computing, and hybrid Quantum-HPC. His applications span multiple domains such as environmental sciences, climate informatics, remote sensing, health informatics, and digital twins. Venkatesh represents ICHEC in various national, European, and international programmes, consulting with agencies to shape and implement strategic initiatives.