Novo Nordisk Foundation and Denmark invest €80 million in world's most powerful quantum computer
The Novo Nordisk Foundation and Denmark's state-owned credit fund announced on Thursday a significant investment aimed at developing what they claim will be the world's most powerful quantum computer. This initiative, called QuNorth, seeks to revolutionize fields such as drug discovery and materials science, leveraging the immense potential of quantum computing to perform calculations that would take classical systems millions of years.
The two organizations are investing 80 million euros ($92.93 million) into the project, which will see Microsoft provide software and Atom Computing construct the quantum computer. The machine will be named Magne, drawing inspiration from Norse mythology, where Magne, the son of Thor, is celebrated for his great strength.
Construction of the quantum computer is set to begin this autumn, with expectations for it to be operational by the end of next year. Initially, Magne will operate with 50 logical qubits. A qubit, or quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing, while a logical qubit is a more reliable virtual construct made up of multiple physical qubits.
Jason Zander, Microsoft's executive vice president, highlighted that achieving around 50 logical qubits marks the onset of "true quantum advantage." He noted, “At this point, I can run something on a quantum computer that I could not run on a classic computer.”
As the number of logical qubits increases, the potential applications expand significantly. Zander explained that reaching 100 logical qubits would allow for the tackling of scientific problems, while scaling up to several hundred could enable chemistry-related inquiries. Ultimately, reaching 1,000 logical qubits could lead to solving complex challenges across various fields.
This initiative reflects a major step forward in quantum computing, promising to unlock new possibilities in medicine, chemistry, and beyond by harnessing the power of quantum mechanics.
