QUROPE Quantum Information Processing and Communication in Europe

Summary

The fascinating science behind and the high-end technological development based on Quantum Information has been a topic for basic research and proof-of-principle development for several decades new. Yet recently, it has moved from curiosity-inspired to more use-inspired research, and it has witnessed larger attention, including the public. Such attention can be seen in various places: one of particular interest is in another scientific disciplines.

For the truly hard problems of science and technology do not neatly fit into the box of one discipline alone, the "real problem-solving" often starts and then takes off with answers and ideas outside the core discipline. To this end, the ESF has started a foresight exercise – or Forward Look – to strategically explore the scientific as well as social dimensions of how the science and technology of Quantum Information advances in the future. The present Forward Look has been proposed by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and Austrian Science Fund (FWF), with the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) as a facilitator, and is supported by the ESF - Standing Committees for Physical and Engineering Sciences (PESC).  FARQUEST is a prospective analysis of the science and technology of Quantum Information, with the goal to synthesise science scenarios of future developments inspired by cross-disciplinary fields - most of which may not yet be thoroughly quantified - for collaborative significant problem-solving.

FARQUEST takes an about 10-year horizon on selected research fronts. It aims at getting insight into significant problems of cross-disciplinary nature that could mutually benefit from addressing them through both the perspective of Quantum Information and perspectives of other disciplines.

A related aim and based on anticipated future developments is of prescriptive nature: what are the present needs in terms of matching research questions, societal needs, and programmes; infrastructures; science policy; and education.

DURATION
March 2011 - March 2013

PROJECT EVENTS AND TIME SCHEDULE
Scoping workshop: March 2011
Kick-off workshop: 9.-11. December 2011 (Geras, Austria)
Second workshop: 4.-6. May 2012 (London, UK)
Third workshop: 12.-14. October 2012 (London, UK)
Phase for outreach: November - December 2012
Dissemination conference: March 2013

PROJECT ORGANIZATION
Project management: ESF European Science Foundation (Farquest@ESF)
Representative national Member Organizations: FWF - Austrian ESF Member Organisation and ÖAW - Austrian ESF Member Organisation
Project facilitator: Austrian Institute of Technology (Farquest@AIT) | Send an E-Mail to dirk [dot] holste [at] ait [dot] ac [dot] at (subject: Feedback on FARQUEST project) (Dirk HOLSTE)
Scientific Committee: Tommaso CALARCO (Chair, University Ulm), Rienk van GRONDELLE (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Gregoire RIBORDY (ID Quantique), Karlheinz STEINMÜLLER (Z-Punkt - The Foresight Company), Klass BERGMANN (TU Kaiserslautern), and Aigars ECKERS (ESF - Programme Coordinator)
Managing Board: Stefan JÄHNICHEN (Technical University Berlin), Thibaut LERY (ESF - Strategy), and Reinhard BELOCKY (FWF - International Programmes)

FARQUEST DOWNLOADS