Quantum Technology Day 2024: Shaping the future of quantum innovation in Austria
Vienna, October 2024 – The Quantum Technology Day (QTech Day), held on October 11th, brought together a diverse crowd of quantum researchers, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to support Austria’s growing quantum technology ecosystem.
Austria is renowned for its excellence in quantum research, yet the translation of these scientific breakthroughs into real-world applications lags behind compared to other countries. Addressing this challenge was central to QTech Day, which marked the launch of a new initiative by the University of Vienna, the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ), and the national cluster of excellence quantA, which aims to drive the commercialization of quantum research in Austria.
Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs in quantum: the quantum innovation lab
The first part of the event focused on inspiring and supporting the next generation of quantum tech entrepreneurs. In the week leading up to the event, 15 young researchers from six Austrian research institutions participated in the quantum innovation lab—a pilot educational program providing them with the tools to bring their research to market. Coordinated by research institutions and incubators across Austria (AIT, INiTS, ISTA, JKU, ÖAW, TU Wien, UIBK, univie, VCQ, and xista), the program offered a short yet intensive workshop where participants gained valuable skills in deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship through presentations, group-work and mentoring. Teresa Hönigl-Decrinis, one of the participants from Innsbruck, said: ‘’I joined the quantum innovation lab because I feel like there’s a lot of good ideas floating around in the academic world that could have real applications. During my education I was lacking a business foundation so this program was the perfect fit for me to learn about that.’’
During QTech Day, the quantum innovation lab participants pitched their ideas—ranging from quantum computing and cryptography applications to healthcare technologies and sensing solutions—to a prestigious international jury of quantum tech founders. After careful deliberation, the jury awarded a €1000 prize to the winning team LumoBreath, whose laser-based sensor technology promises compact and accessible health monitoring.
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The winning team LumoBreath from left to right: Rolf Szedlak, Mauro David and Philipp Rachle. Copyright: Alexander Bachmayer
Quantum entrepreneurs share their journeys: a look beyond research
In the second part of the event an insightful discussion featuring established entrepreneurs in the quantum spin-off world took place. The panel included founders from international quantum spin-offs and investment funds planqc and i5invest, Tulon Photonics, Quantum Diamonds GmbH, Quantum Industries GmbH, QUBO Technology GmbH, and QphoX. The panelists talked about their journeys from academic research to building successful startups, sharing stories on perseverance, and navigating the unique challenges encountered in deep tech innovation, while highlighting the importance of a strong quantum ecosystem in realizing such a venture. Discussions continued into the evening as attendees explored potential collaborations, exchanged ideas, and debated how Austria can leverage its scientific expertise to create a thriving ecosystem for quantum startups.
Panel discussion of quantum spin-off founders: (from left to right) Alexander Schwartz (moderation, xista science ventures), Kevin Berghoff (Quantum Diamonds GmbH), Felix Tiefenbacher (Quantum Industries GmbH), Stefan Fürnsinn (QUBO Technology GmbH), Aisling Johnson (Tulon Photonics), Markus Wagner (i5invest and planqc), Simon Gröblacher (QphoX). Copyright: Alexander Bachmayer
A vision for Austria’s quantum tech future
QTech Day marked an important milestone for Austria’s future in the context of quantum technologies, highlighting not only the depth of talent within the country but also the strong commitment to translating that talent into tangible innovations. VCQ speaker Professor Borivoje Dakić emphasized, “We have a duty to transfer our knowledge and give it back to society; we must remember that this is part of our mission.”
As such, the event served also as a call to action for Austria to establish itself as a global quantum tech hub. From the pitches of aspiring entrepreneurs to the experiences of established founders, the event underscored the urgent need for a cultural shift towards investing in support structures, education and partnerships, to facilitate the commercialization of quantum research in Austria.
As quantum technologies edge closer to practical applications, they have the potential to revolutionize sectors such as computing, communication, and sensing and Austria is positioning itself to take a leading role in the global quantum technology landscape.
A diverse audience of about 80 researchers, industry leaders, investors and policymakers attended the QTech Day, to learn about the future of quantum technologies and innovation in Austria. Copyright: Alexander Bachmayer
