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Federal Ministry of Research launches first projects from the future packageAs part of the economic stimulus program to combat the economic consequences of the Corona crisis the federal government has put together a future package for Germany as an innovative country. This also includes investments in quantum technologies. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF is now starting the first preparatory measures for quantum communication and quantum computing hardware. Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek explainsQuantum technologies have outstanding potential for business and society. As an innovation country Germany we want to continue to play in the top league with these top innovations. Because the international competition is very demanding. With quantum technologies we make an important contribution to greater independence from competitors and thus to greater technological sovereignty. For this reason the federal government will provide substantial funds amounting to billions from the economic and future package for the development of quantum technologies over the next five years.With the first tranche of 120 million euros from the future and economic stimulus package the BMBF will now start initial projects. We want to focus more on projects on the fundamental key technologies for quantum communication and quantum computing. Thus we initiate the urgently needed structures for the preparation activation and networking of the economy and the scientific communities. This is also an important element for the future activities of the federal government.With a quantum computing roadmap the federal government together with science and industry will develop recommendations for practical action for the rapid implementation of the future package. We want to ensure that this strong science can also reach the economy and society. The recommendations for action will be presented as part of the Federal Governments innovation dialogue in January. The roadmap is very important to me because this alliance of business science and politics is a real signal for quantum computing. We will coordinate further steps across departments in the next quarter. With our first BMBF-Measures from the future package are already being made possible today so that the results of the roadmap process can then be implemented quickly. BackgroundWith the funding announcements on basic technologies for the quantum processors in future quantum computers as well as for quantum informatics the BMBF is setting extremely important impulses for quantum computing made in Germany.These measures are part of the Federal Governments continuously increased funding activity in quantum technologies in recent years. In 2018 for example the federal government launched the program Quantum Technologies - From the Basics to the Market to promote the development of quantum technologies in Germany. In this context the BMBF is already funding research initiatives on basic technologies sensor technology computing and secure quantum communication .The BMBF-Initiative QuNET is a lighthouse project in IT security research in which communication secured by quantum communication is researched and tested in various scenarios. In order to guarantee comprehensive secure data transmission all aspects of a secure communication architecture are taken into account. In QuNET scientists from three large research companies work closely with an advisory board from the communications and IT security industry. The technologies developed in QuNET are intended to make communication more secure in the future not only for public institutions and critical infrastructures but also for industry and citizens in the future.At the beginning of 2020 the Federal Minister of Research also launched the strategic quantum computing initiative to focus even more on the development of hardware software and applications. This also allows the BMBF to implement the impulses from the federal governments roadmap process quickly specifically and for the benefit of Europe as a technology location and its technological sovereignty.
