Sweden, Finland eye quantum tech leap amid call for official strategy

HELSINKI — Nordic defense companies could have a greater share of the world’s quantum computing pie , as regional players Sweden and Finland each aim to advance their capabilities using the disruptive technology.

Under the purview of the Chalmers University of Technology, or CUT, Sweden wants to use quantum technology to improve the performance of radar systems. In Finland, the state-funded organization VTT Research wants to bolster the processing capability of an existing quantum computer

“There are many reasons why the defense industry might want to monitor, if not engage with, the quantum computer projects running in Sweden and Finland. It is generally recognized in defense quarters — and increasingly by governments, too — that while quantum science is a positive, its disruptive nature will bring challenges and a certain degree of threat,” Lars Sundström, an independent computer industry analyst based in Stockholm, told Defense News.

The challenge for cybersecurity specialists, Sundström said, is to build solutions based on quantum technology that offer a superior level of protection to critical IT networks and infrastructure. “The big defense and cybersecurity players in the Nordic region are already connected in some way, and indirectly to the quantum projects in Finland and Sweden. Saab is probably the most well-known name in the mix,” Sundström added.

Saab is an “industrial partner” to the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology, a co-partner with CUT in the quantum computer project. Saab is currently running several PhD-level projects at the center aimed at developing new applications for the defense industry, the most high-profile of which is for a quantum-enhanced noise radar. Researchers are investigating whether entanglement between generated photons can improve the performance of radar systems.

In a significant move, CUT has decided to produce a copy of its quantum computer — the school currently has a 25-quantum bit system — that would be available to companies operating in the country’s IT, defense and engineering industries within eight to 12 months.

For its part, Finland currently has a 5-qubit computer, but VTT Research plans to have a 20-qubit version operational by year’s end. It’s slated for an upgrade to 50 qubits in 2024 — a level that can more capably demonstrate the quantum advantage to solving individual problems.

But to solve industrially relevant computational problems, the computing power must rise to 100 to 300 qubits, said Pekka Pursula, a research manager at VTT.

A doctoral student and one of the research leaders with the quantum computer project at Chalmers University of Technology open the last stage of the dilution refrigerator for the school’s quantum computer. (Anna-Lena Lundqvist/Chalmers University of Technology)

“When the number of qubits increases from 50 to 100, the computing power of a quantum computer does not double — it grows exponentially. This will enable companies to use quantum computing for industrial applications and achieve the quantum advantage,” Pursula told Defense News.

Quantum technology is developing rapidly and will become key in the areas of energy, defense and finance, according to Per Delsing, a professor of experimental physics at Chalmers who leads the quantum computer project at WACQT.

“We are now starting to get the tools to be able to control quantum systems and thereby exploit inherent quantum physical phenomena,” Delsing said. “The time is ripe to start using these commercially and in society. A national strategy and funding plan is needed in Sweden to coordinate all aspects of the development.”

Broadening investor interest in quantum computer technology was among the primary reasons management at CUT decided to produce a copy for selective release. The university-run project requires a deep funding pool, Delsing noted, and the school is seeking capital investments for related education and innovation specifically to build a 25-qubit computer. The organization hopes to finish building the system by the end of the year. The goal is to scale it up to 40 qubits, and then 100 qubits.

“In order to be able to do things that a classical computer cannot, such as super-fast optimization of complicated logistics problems, you need to reach more than 50 to 60 quantum bits,” Delsing said.

The CUT and WACQT quantum computer effort is currently working off a $132 million grant that covers a project development period of 2018-2029. The grant includes contributions from Swedish industry, universities and the private Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Five organizations released a report in March, titled “ A Swedish Quantum Agenda ,” calling for a Swedish national strategy for quantum technology.

The document maps out how to deliver long-term financial support for related research, said Darja Isaksson, director general at the innovation funding agency Vinnova, one of the organizations that authored the report. The others are RISE, a research and innovation institute; Swelife, a life science-focused funding agency; the Swedish Research Council, the country’s largest governmental research funding body; and WACQT.

Nordic defense companies could have a greater share of the world’s quantum computing pie, as regional players Sweden and Finland each aim to advance their capabilities using the disruptive technology. (Ali Shahgholi/Getty Images)

“Quantum technology has enormous potential in areas such as energy efficiency, defense and security, and health. Sweden is at an advanced stage in research. In order for Sweden to maintain its long-term competitiveness in quantum technology, we need to build a national ecosystem for innovation and commercialization of the technology,” Isaksson said.

The report identifies logistics planning, organizational realignment, product development and the creation of solutions for airspace security issues as ideal problem-solving areas for quantum computing to tackle.

The report concludes that Sweden’s defense and national security sectors could harvest real value from four subfields — quantum computers, quantum simulators, quantum communication and quantum sensors — by using spinoff disruptive technologies to both create new and improve existing applications.

On cybersecurity, the report notes that encryption algorithms currently “rely on the inefficiency of classical computers to solve the functions required to decrypt the secure data. While they are astronomically hard to solve in classical implementations, a quantum computer equipped with the right algorithm can break the encryption with relative ease.”

The advance of quantum computers, the report states, has motivated multiple European initiatives to quickly assemble quantum cryptographic communication channels where fiber-optic networks can be used to securely communicate sensitive information between and inside of national borders.

“Additionally, satellite networks can be put in place to connect local fiber networks to the global web — something that requires considerable national effort to initiate,” the report notes.

“Sweden should actively develop international collaboration in the quantum technology field while also developing cooperation with ambitions on Nordic, European, as well as global levels. The Nordic countries, in particular Denmark, Finland, and Sweden have a strong research tradition in quantum technology,” the report recommends in its conclusion. “Together the Nordic countries become a strong international player.”

Gerard O'Dwyer is the Scandinavian affairs correspondent for Defense News.

赫尔辛基——北欧国防公司有望在全球量子计算市场中占据更大的份额，因为瑞典和芬兰这两个地区性企业都致力于利用这项颠覆性技术提升自身能力。

在瑞典查尔姆斯理工大学（CUT）的指导下，瑞典希望利用量子技术提升雷达系统的性能。在芬兰，国家资助的VTT研究中心则希望增强现有量子计算机的处理能力。

“国防工业有很多理由想要关注瑞典和芬兰正在开展的量子计算机项目，甚至参与其中。国防界普遍认为——而且越来越多的政府也认同这一点——虽然量子科学是一项积极的技术，但其颠覆性也会带来挑战和一定程度的威胁，”斯德哥尔摩的独立计算机行业分析师拉尔斯·桑德斯特伦告诉《防务新闻》。

桑德斯特伦表示，网络安全专家面临的挑战是构建基于量子技术的解决方案，为关键IT网络和基础设施提供更高水平的保护。“北欧地区的主要国防和网络安全企业已经以某种方式与芬兰和瑞典的量子项目建立了联系，尽管这种联系是间接的。萨博可能是其中最知名的公司，”桑德斯特伦补充道。

萨博是瓦伦堡量子技术中心的“工业合作伙伴”，该中心与卡尔斯鲁厄理工大学（CUT）共同参与量子计算机项目。萨博目前在该中心开展多个博士生项目，旨在为国防工业开发新的应用，其中最引人注目的是量子增强噪声雷达项目。研究人员正在探索生成的量子光子之间的纠缠是否能够提升雷达系统的性能。

中科理工大学做出了一项重大决定，决定复制其量子计算机——该校目前拥有一个 25 量子比特的系统——该计算机将在 8 到 12 个月内提供给该国 IT、国防和工程行业的公司使用。

芬兰目前拥有一台5量子比特的计算机，但芬兰国家技术研究中心（VTT Research）计划在年底前投入使用一台20量子比特的计算机。该计算机计划于2024年升级到50量子比特——这一级别将能更有效地展现量子计算在解决特定问题方面的优势。

VTT 研究经理 Pekka Pursula 表示，要解决与工业相关的计算问题，计算能力必须提高到 100 到 300 个量子比特。

查尔姆斯理工大学量子计算机项目的一名博士生和一位研究负责人正在开启该校量子计算机稀释制冷机的最后一级。（Anna-Lena Lundqvist/查尔姆斯理工大学）

“当量子比特的数量从50个增加到100个时，量子计算机的计算能力不是翻倍增长，而是呈指数级增长。这将使企业能够将量子计算应用于工业领域，并获得量子优势，”珀苏拉告诉《防务新闻》。

据查尔姆斯理工大学实验物理学教授、WACQT量子计算机项目负责人佩尔·德尔辛称，量子技术正在快速发展，并将成为能源、国防和金融领域的关键。

德尔辛表示：“我们现在开始掌握控制量子系统的工具，从而能够利用量子物理固有的现象。现在正是将这些技术应用于商业和社会领域的良机。瑞典需要制定国家战略和资金计划，以协调发展的各个方面。”

投资者对量子计算机技术日益增长的兴趣是中科大学管理层决定制作一份副本供选择性发布的主要原因之一。德尔辛指出，这个由大学运营的项目需要雄厚的资金支持，学校正在寻求相关教育和创新方面的投资，特别是用于建造一台25量子比特的计算机。该机构希望在年底前完成系统的建设。其目标是将其扩展到40量子比特，最终达到100量子比特。

德尔辛说：“为了能够做经典计算机无法做的事情，例如对复杂的物流问题进行超快速优化，你需要达到 50 到 60 个量子比特以上。”

CUT 和 WACQT 量子计算机项目目前正在利用一项 1.32 亿美元的拨款开展工作，该拨款涵盖 2018 年至 2029 年的项目开发期。该拨款包括来自瑞典工业界、大学以及私人克努特和爱丽丝·瓦伦堡基金会的捐款。

五家机构于 3 月发布了一份题为《瑞典量子议程》的报告，呼吁瑞典制定国家量子技术战略。

这份文件详细阐述了如何为相关研究提供长期资金支持。瑞典创新署（Vinnova）署长达尔娅·伊萨克松（Darja Isaksson）表示，该报告是该报告的撰写机构之一。其他撰写机构包括：研究与创新机构RISE；专注于生命科学的资助机构Swelife；瑞典最大的政府研究资助机构——瑞典研究理事会；以及WACQT。

北欧国防企业或将在全球量子计算市场占据更大份额，因为瑞典和芬兰这两个区域性企业都计划利用这项颠覆性技术提升自身能力。（Ali Shahgholi/Getty Images）

“量子技术在能源效率、国防安全以及医疗健康等领域具有巨大的潜力。瑞典在该领域的研究已处于领先阶段。为了保持瑞典在量子技术领域的长期竞争力，我们需要建立一个国家级的创新和商业化生态系统，”伊萨克松说道。

该报告指出，物流规划、组织重组、产品开发以及空域安全问题的解决方案是量子计算可以解决的理想问题领域。

报告总结道，瑞典国防和国家安全部门可以通过利用衍生颠覆性技术，从量子计算机、量子模拟器、量子通信和量子传感器这四个子领域中获得真正的价值，从而创造新的应用并改进现有的应用。

关于网络安全，该报告指出，目前的加密算法“依赖于传统计算机的低效性来解决解密安全数据所需的功能。虽然在传统实现中解决这些功能极其困难，但配备正确算法的量子计算机可以相对轻松地破解加密。”

报告指出，量子计算机的进步促使欧洲迅速建立量子加密通信通道，利用光纤网络在国家边界内外安全地传输敏感信息。

报告指出：“此外，还可以建立卫星网络，将本地光纤网络连接到全球互联网——这需要国家付出相当大的努力才能启动。”

报告在结论中建议：“瑞典应积极发展量子技术领域的国际合作，同时在北欧、欧洲乃至全球层面开展雄心勃勃的合作。北欧国家，特别是丹麦、芬兰和瑞典，在量子技术领域拥有深厚的研究传统。北欧国家携手合作，将成为强大的国际参与者。”

杰拉德·奥德怀尔是《防务新闻》的斯堪的纳维亚事务记者。