National Quantum Science and Technology Institute – NQSTI

Funder: Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 - Call for tender No. 341 of 15/03/2022 of Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU

Award Number: Project code PE0000023, Concession Decree No. 1564 of 11/10/2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, CUP D93C22000940001, Project title “National Quantum Science and Technology Institute” (NQSTI)

Start date: 01/12/2022

End date: 30/11/2025

Total NRRP funding for the whole project: € 115.900.000

Total NRRP funding for Unipr: € 2.318.820

Objectives

Quantum sciences and technologies exhibit radically innovative characteristics and have an interdisciplinary impact, representing a strong departure from currently available technologies. It is therefore crucial to assume a leading role in this field, as developers, providers, and users of skills, technologies, and platforms.

The European Quantum Flagship vision, recognized in the Italian National Research Plan, outlines three parallel lines of development for Quantum Technologies:

• creating a network of National Quantum Institutes to optimize resources and bridge research with industry
• the inclusion of novel Quantum Computing capabilities within the High-performance Computing Infrastructure (HPC/QC)
• the realization of a novel European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), the latter two to be developed within the Digital Europe Program

The project provides an interdisciplinary, holistic, and problem-solving approach for the creation of the NQSTI, which also completes the existing national efforts for the HPC/QC Center and the proposed Italian deployment of the EuroQCI. NQSTI will be an innovative ecosystem in which the ability to study and manipulate quantum objects (atoms-molecules, photons, electrons) is ultimately translated into industrial applications. It involves developing technical infrastructures, defining new standards, training new technical-professionals, and fostering collaboration between public and private sectors, with a focus on the development of the southern Italian regions.

Activities

NQSTI is a consortium that teams up Italian entities carrying out competitive and innovative research in the field of quantum science and technology (QST), and will stimulate future industrial innovation in this field, providing a forum in which novel ideas and opportunities are transferred to companies. To ensure a long-term positive effect on the Italian economic growth and development, the whole innovation chain was considered: from the strengthening and coordination of the low-TRL research, to its translation into prototypes, favouring interfacing with industrial needs thanks to strong outreach and continued-education programs. Importantly, the creation and incubation of spin-offs and start-ups that can move research outcomes up in the TRL-ranking are included in the proposal scope with significant resources and a special focus onto the southern regions. The activities are arranged in 9 different Spoke, each one with a precise focus:

• Spoke 1 – Foundations and architectures for quantum information processing and communication
• Spoke 2 – Foundations and architectures for quantum sensing, metrology, novel materials, and sustainability
• Spoke 3 – Atomic, molecular platform for quantum technologies
• Spoke 4 – Photonic platform for quantum technologies
• Spoke 5 – Electron-based platform for quantum technologies
• Spoke 6 – Integration
• Spoke 7 – Complete Quantum Systems
• Spoke 8 – Technology Transfer
• Spoke 9 – Education and Outreach

UNIPR is involved as affiliated entity in the following Spokes:

• Spoke 1 – Foundations and architectures for quantum information processing and communication
• Spoke 2 – Foundations and architectures for quantum sensing, metrology, novel materials, and sustainability
• Spoke 5 – Electron-based platform for quantum technologies
• Spoke 8 – Technology Transfer
• Spoke 9 – Education and Outreach

• Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
• Department of Engineering and Architecture
• Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences

NQSTI extended partnership consists of 10 public universities, 6 public research centers, 2 private research center, and 2 companies:

• Università degli Studi di Camerino
• Sapienza Università di Roma
• Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro
• Università degli Studi di Firenze
• Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca
• Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
• Università degli Studi di Parma
• Università di Pavia
• Università degli Studi di Catania
• Università degli Studi di Trieste
• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
• Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
• International Center for Theoretical Physics
• Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati
• Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
• Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa
• Fondazione Bruno Kessler
• Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
• Leonardo SpA
• Thales Alenia Space

The project will contribute with advancements in both theoretical and experimental methodologies. These activities will strengthen the development of a value chain, spanning from frontier research to industrial products, while considering other cross-cutting aspects such as strengthening key competencies, technology and knowledge transfer, and the ability to integrate quantum sciences and technologies into systems and services. The results of the program will increase the national research value chain and its role in international community, further expanding the involvement of businesses in strategic, industrial, and market perspectives.

https://www.nqsti.it