Germany to allocate €2 billion to quantum computing

The German government has announced it  would allocate about €2 billion over the next four years to support the development of the country’s first quantum computer and related technologies. The Ministry of Education and Research will allocate 1.1 billion to research and development in quantum computing, while the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy will spend €878 million in support of practical quantum applications. The largest part of the funds (€740 million) will be directed to Germany’s Aerospace Center, which will partner with large companies and start-ups to form two consortia in the field of quantum computing. According to the Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, the goal behind this initiative is that ‘Germany will become one of the best players worldwide in the development and practical applications of quantum computing’.