The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is expected to play an important role in further activating the domestic quantum computing research and development ecosystem by strengthening research and education cooperation in the field of quantum computing with Yonsei University and Pasqal Korea.

ETRI signed an MOU with Yonsei University and Pascal and agreed to jointly conduct research on new quantum algorithms and software based on Pascal's neutral atom quantum computer.

It also stated that its goal is to discover various application fields of quantum computing and contribute to the research and development ecosystem.

As part of the cooperation, we plan to conduct joint research projects to secure cutting-edge quantum computing technology and actively cooperate in the field of quantum computer technology infrastructure.

In addition, the three institutions plan to develop joint education and research programs to foster quantum computing talent.

Pascal will share its self-developed educational materials, and ETRI and Yonsei University will provide feedback on these to improve the effectiveness of education.

Additionally, Pascal plans to give priority consideration to both organizations for the internship program it plans to run in Korea.

Roberto Mauro, CEO of Pascal Korea, said, “We are working with ETRI, a global leading research institute in the field of electronic communications, and the best quantum“We are honored to be working with Yonsei University, which has a computing research environment, and we look forward to our future collaboration. Through our collaboration with the two institutions, we are confident that Pasqal’s full-stack quantum computing expertise will contribute to the development of various applications linked to existing industries in Korea,” he said.

Yonsei University President Dong-Seop Yoon said, “This agreement provides an opportunity for Yonsei University to take a leap forward in the field of quantum computing education and research. Through cooperation with ETRI and Pasqal, we will do our best to further solidify the domestic quantum technology ecosystem and foster talent with global competitiveness.”

ETRI President Seung-chan Bang also said, “We are delighted to be joining hands with Pascal, a global quantum computing company, and Yonsei University, a prestigious private university in Korea, to conduct quantum computing research and foster talent. We will spare no support to ensure that we can achieve great results in this cutting-edge field where global R&D competition is taking place.”

Last year, Yonsei University introduced IBM's 127-qubit quantum computer for the first time in Korea and made large-scale investments to develop leading quantum computing applications and talent, including building a quantum computing research and development complex at Yonsei University's international campus in Songdo.

Pasqal is a global quantum computing company founded in Paris, France in 2019 by the research team of Professor Alain Aspect, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. It focuses on research and development of quantum computer hardware and software that use neutral atoms as a physical qubit platform. We established a Korean branch in 2023 and are actively participating in the domestic quantum computing ecosystem.

In August of last year, ETRI developed a silicon photonics quantum chip using eight single photons, successfully implementing 4-qubit quantum entanglement with the world's highest level of reliability, and also successfully implemented 6-qubit quantum entanglement.

In addition, research on superconductivity-based quantum computing technology, quantum computing algorithms, and system software is being conducted with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP).