Universal Quantum is building the computer of the future
When it comes to the latest technological developments, the world usually looks first to the United States and China. But in one area, it is definitely worth taking a look at Hamburg: quantum computing. The startup Universal Quantum is involved in a project that aims to produce a globally competitive quantum computer.
Quantum computers overcome the binary system of zeros and ones
IBM manager Thomas J. Watson is said to have said in 1943: ‘I think there will be a demand for maybe five computers in the world.’ This statement is undocumented, and it has long since been disproved a billion times over. ‘Quantum computers will never be available on the shelves of electronics retailers,’ explains Oliver Blume, managing director of Universal Quantum Germany. This statement is authentic and justified by the extraordinary complexity of quantum mechanics.
Nevertheless, quantum computing is considered one of the key technologies of the 21st century. Conventional computers work with bits that have either the state 0 or 1. Quantum computers are not subject to this binary restriction; here, several overlapping states are possible in parallel, the technical term for this being superposition. This is difficult for laymen to understand, but even they can grasp the practical consequences: quantum computers are many times faster than existing supercomputers. In 2019, a research group commissioned by Google claimed to have performed a calculation in 200 seconds that would otherwise have taken 47 years. However, the usefulness and universal validity of the process were questioned, and competitor IBM objected that the calculation could also be performed in 2.5 days using established methods.
The Google computer had a capacity of 53 qubits. A qubit is, in a sense, the unit of measurement for the performance of a quantum computer and, despite its similarity in name, can only be compared to a bit to a very limited extent. The maximum achieved so far is just over 1,000 qubits. However, the aim are figures in the six or even seven-digit range. Who will come out on top in this race is completely indeterminate. The USA and China will certainly play a leading role here, but startups such as Universal Quantum also have a chance. A decisive factor is the process used to implement qubits.
Universal Quantum traps ions
Superconducting circuits are often used, but there are physical limits to their scalability. For example, they need to be cooled to almost the absolute minimum temperature of 0 Kelvin (-273.15 degrees Celsius). This must also be done in a vacuum and using laser technology, which makes the challenge even greater. Universal Quantum therefore relies on ion traps. Here, ions, electrically charged particles, are brought under control and used for qubits. Universal Quantum already achieves this at a temperature of 70 Kelvin and is aiming for normal room temperature in the medium term. This has put the startup in a leading position.
This is mainly thanks to co-founder Winfried Hensinger, one of the pioneers of quantum computing. His passion for physics was sparked by the science fiction series Star Trek and the ‘beaming’ that is common there. His academic career took him via Heidelberg, Australia and the USA to the University of Sussex, where he has been researching and teaching since 2005. In 2015, he developed a method for cooling ion traps with microwaves instead of lasers. One of his most talented students, who is now a physics professor himself, is Sebastian Weidt. In 2017, Sebastian and Winfried published the first practical design for a large-scale quantum computer based on ion traps, and a year later they founded Universal Quantum together.
From Sussex to Hamburg for a 200 million project
The company's headquarters were and still are in Sussex; the fact that Hamburg was added as a further location in 2022 is partly thanks to Oliver Blume. The serial entrepreneur began his career at the age of 20 and, among other things, shook up the German pharmacy market with the easyApotheke chain. His main field of activity is the real estate industry, and at the end of 2024 he made headlines with the purchase of the dilapidated television tower in Hanover. In addition, he has repeatedly addressed future topics such as quantum computing. From the outset, he wanted to establish Universal Quantum in Germany as well. A prerequisite for this was that politicians would take up the issue.
The breakthrough came in the summer of 2020, when the German government put together an economic stimulus and future package for quantum technologies worth 2 billion euros. Hamburg, which is one of the world leaders in this field of science, was also set to benefit from this. The pioneering project for practical implementation began in autumn 2022. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) announced the placing of a contract for the further development of ion trap technology as part of its Quantum Computing Initiative (QCI). A total of 208.5 million euros is available. The aim of the project is to build scalable quantum computers. The starting point is a module with a quantum processor with the capacity of ten qubits. Key feature is the combinability of the modules, which should result in a structure with thousands of qubits. Universal Quantum is developing the prototypes together with a consortium of companies comprising NXP Semiconductors (Hamburg), eleQtron (Siegen) and Parity Quantum Computing (Munich).
This project is not the only one being undertaken by QCI. Other technological approaches are being tested in parallel to investigate which methods are most suitable for which problems. Initial results are expected to be available after four years at the latest, which according to current calculations means by the end of 2026. This is a fairly optimistic estimate. Oliver Blume believes that Universal Quantum will need at least another six years for the first commercial application of a quantum computer, or more likely ten years on a larger scale. The areas of application are diverse: they include the development of new drugs, complex planning for logistics and transport, and managing the energy transition. A powerful device would then cost in the hundreds of millions.
A large ecosystem as the key to success
This is a scale that makes it obvious that quantum computing is not a matter for garage startups. At least that applies to the hardware, because large halls are required for production. In the software sector, however, opportunities will also arise for smaller, less well-funded companies. The key to the success of the technology will be to build a dedicated ecosystem for it, which will also require political support. Hamburg can play an important role here with its Science City. This new district, which is currently under construction and aims to unite science and business, was also a major reason why Universal Quantum moved into the tecHHub.
Although tecHHub primarily targets startups in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, its location in Science City offers sufficient links to the research institutions based there. A company like Universal Quantum cannot focus on a single location anyway. Experts in quantum physics are few and far between, so the team has members all over the world. Thirty of them are employed in Hamburg to set new standards in computer technology.
