The second base center
for quantum science and technology cooperation established, following the first
in the Americas
Four joint research
centers in Europe held workshop to stimulate joint research efforts
Delegation was sent to
advance action plan for collaboration projects with Switzerland, the United
Kingdom, Austria, etc.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho, hereinafter
referred to as 'MSIT') announced the establishment of the "Korea-Europe
Quantum Science Technology Cooperation Center" (Director Lee Jeong Won,
hereinafter referred to as the 'European Center'), which is the second
institution under the same mission following the first in the Americas. The
European Center will officially commence its operations with an opening
ceremony held at Brussels, Belgium on October 18th.
Regional quantum science and technology cooperation centers have been
established as part of the "Enhancement of International Quantum
Technology Cooperation" initiative. This initiative is designed to offer
comprehensive support for domestic industries, academia, and research institutions
to facilitate close collaboration with outstanding international research
organizations, throughout the whole process from identifying potential
collaborators to engaging in large-scale projects. Each center plays a pivotal
role in bridging cooperation in the quantum sector and construction of research
networks within its respective region.
Overview of regional quantum science and technology
cooperation centers
Region | Name | Location | Statute | Date of operation | Core functions |
Americas | Korea-US
Quantum Technology Cooperation Center | Washington
DC, US | Non-profit organization
in the US | September
2022 - present | Identification
and match-making of quantum science and technology cooperation initiatives
and research partners, and assistance for joint projects |
Europe | Korea-Europe
Quantum Science Technology Cooperation Center | Brussels,
Belgium | Non-profit organization
in Belgium | July 2023 -
present |
The opening ceremony was attended by a total of about 30 persons,
including Lee Jong Ho, Minister for Science and ICT, Ryu Jeonghyun, the Korean
Ambassador to Belgium, diplomats from the European Commission
Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology and the
United States, Japan, and Switzerland Mission to the European Union, and also experts
from Korea and abroad. The event started with a progress report on the initiative,
and proceeded with the unveiling ceremony of the signboard, followed by a
presentation on the vision and future plans for the European Center.
Overview of the opening ceremony
• Date: October 18th
(Wed.), 2023, 12:00-12:30 • Location: Korea-Europe
Quantum Science Technology Cooperation Center, Brussels, Belgium • Attendees: (Korean
government) Minister of MSIT, Director-General for International Cooperation
of MSIT, Korean Ambassador to Belgium, etc.
(Foreign governments) Officials from
the European Commission, the US, Japan, and Switzerland Mission to the EU
(Researchers) Kim Myung Shik,
Professor at Imperial College London, supervisors of regional joint research
centers (JRCs) in Europe, etc. • Contents: Progress report,
signboard unveiling ceremony, presentation on the vision and future plans for
the Europe Center, etc. |
After the ceremony, in the afternoon, an expert workshop took place with
participation from principal investigators of the 4 JRCs, each responsible for
its respective field of specialization, and operated in association with the
European Center. During the workshop, participating centers exchanged their
research and operational plans, and discussed cooperation options, both between
the European Center and a JRC and in-between JRCs, to create synergies among
them.
JRCs by research
topic located in Europe
Name | Organizations ※ Supervising organization or
personnel are underlined |
Korea | Counterparts |
Joint research center for the next-generation scalable semiconductor and
its utilization into quantum computing | Seoul National
Univ. (Kim Dohun) KRISS (Bae Myung-Ho) | Switzerland | Ecole
Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Pasquale Scarlino) |
Nertherlands | Technische Universiteit Delft, QuTech (Giordano Scappucci) |
Joint research center for near-infrared spectroscopy of single-photon
superconductivity | Sung Kyun Kwan
Univ. (Chong Yonuk) | UK | University of Glasgow (Robert Hadfield) |
Joint research center for the development of
chip-scale multi-scalability quantum light source and optical integrated
circuit technology | KAIST (Cho
Yong-Hoon) ETRI (Park Jaegyu) KIST (Song Jin Dong) | Germany | University of Wurzburg (Sven Hofling) |
Joint research center for quantum computing based on superconductive
qubits | KRISS(Lee
Yong-Ho) | Israel | Quantum Machines (Yonatan Cohen) |
In his address during the opening ceremony of the European Center,
Minister Lee Jong Ho emphasized the significance of international coordination
and cooperation building on solidarity for creating a global ecosystem of
quantum science and technology, a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary field in
emergence. He stated that, "Korea and Europe has complementary strengths
in the field of quantum science and technology. I suggest that both parties
work to expand joint research and human resource exchange under the leadership
of the European Center, which will result in the maximization of cooperative
synergies and technological advancement."
Meanwhile, MSIT and the European Center have been actively pursuing
discussions on intergovernmental collaboration projects in the field of quantum
science and technology, including joint research and human resource exchange,
primarily targeting countries such as Switzerland, Austria, and the UK. Building
upon the recent dispatch of Korean delegation to Europe earlier this month,
MSIT is planning to crystalize specific areas and models of collaboration, and
advance more comprehensive cooperation efforts from next year onward.
Summary of recent
discussions and plans on Korea-Europe collaboration projects
• (Switzerland) A delegation of 11
persons to participate in Swissnex Quantum Summit, hold a workshop for the
exploration of joint research project topics, and discuss intergovernmental
joint research programs (October 12-16) • (Austria)
A delegation of 9 persons to hold a Korea-Austria expert forum for
exchange of quantum science and technology policy and recent developments in
research (October 31) • (UK) A
delegation of 9 persons to participate in National Quantum Technologies
Showcase 2023, hold a workshop for the exploration of joint research project
topics, and discuss intergovernmental joint research programs (November 2-3) • (EU) Korea-EU expert workshop for the
exploration of joint research project topics by specific fields of study will
be hosted (Online, November) |
For further information, please contact the Public
Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr)
of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
please refer to the attached PDF.