Fujitsu Announces Quantum Simulator Challenge Winners

Fujitsu has celebrated the culmination of its $100,000 Quantum Simulator Challenge, which produced novel applications across diverse fields. The challenge ran from February to September 2023, inviting quantum pioneers to test their mettle on Fujitsu's 39-qubit quantum simulator.

Forty-three teams from 17 countries competed for the top spot in the competition, with a focus on using the simulator for innovative solutions to societal challenges. After a competitive selection process, 20 teams made the cut, and four emerged as winners. Fujitsu announced the winners in a grand ceremony at De Oude Bibliotheek Academy in Delft, Netherlands.

Finland's Quanscient snagged the first prize, impressing the judges with its "quantum algorithms for fluid dynamics" project.

Other winners included Riverlane, earning second place with its quantum stability experiments. QKrishi and Bloq Quantum shared the third prize for their work in quantum machine learning for fraud detection. Also sharing third place was the University of Naples Federico II, recognized for its quantum computing applications in smart city management.

Participants racked up a substantial 56,000 hours on the simulator exploring everything from basic research and error correction technology to algorithms aimed at social issues.

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Building on the success of this challenge, Fujitsu is set to launch another competition in 2024 with an upgraded 40-qubit simulator. The company said this demonstrates its commitment to advancing the field of quantum computing, focusing on both research and development and real-world applications.

“This challenge has unleashed a wave of advanced quantum applications. It's a testament to quantum computing's potential to tackle big societal issues head-on. We're fully committed to driving further development in quantum simulators and their applications,” said the head of Fujitsu's technology strategy unit Hideto Okada.