The Franco-Singaporean symposium on quantum science and technology
From November 5th to 7th of this year, Singapore hosted the Franco-Singaporean Quantum Symposium. The event brought French and Singaporean scientists and industrialists together to take stock of advances and explore prospects for collaboration in quantum science and technology.
The first Franco-Singaporean Quantum Symposium (FSQS 2024) was jointly organised by the international research laboratory1 (IRL) MajuLab2 , the National Quantum Office (NQO) - which steers research and innovation in quantum technologies in Singapore - the investment fund Quantonation and the Centre for Quantum Technologies which develops and promotes advanced quantum technologies intended to accelerate scientific and industrial innovation. The event's aim was to strengthen collaborations and structure strategic cooperation between France and Singapore.
From the technological revolution to issues with sovereignty
Quantum technologies are on the point of transforming entire sectors - from telecommunications to cybersecurity and high-performance computing. They offer the prospect of unbreakable communication and cryptographic systems combined with spectacular advances in complex computational problem-solving. Nonetheless, these advances bring up questions about national sovereignty and security. Countries that master such technologies will be at an enormous strategic advantage while those that do not position themselves adequately could risk becoming dependent on other countries and dropping behind in vital sectors like cybersecurity and high-tech industry.
MajuLab: 10 years of quantum collaboration between France and Singapore
MajuLab was created in 2014 to unite France and Singapore around a shared vision and has become a nerve centre for quantum research and technology. This international CNRS laboratory is based at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) where it has built a "quantum channel" to link the two countries. "France and Singapore are both quantum strongholds and have been collaborating successfully for many years in this area - from quantum computing to quantum chaos and also including quantum photonics", stresses the director in reference to this decade of fruitful cooperation.
MajuLab also embodies the rise of quantum technologies throughout the world. "With the boom in quantum technologies, fundamental research isn't the only focus any more. The ambition is to use the counter-intuitive characteristics of quantum physics to calculate quicker, communicate more securely and measure more accurately," she explains. MajuLab has thus become a strategic stakeholder by developing a 'deep tech' approach bringing together fundamental research and engineering. "MajuLab is a space where the beauty and utility of science exist side-by-side, where fundamental research questions and technology mutually inspire each other, thus going the full circle of innovation," she concludes.
In France, a dynamic ecosystem combining fundamental research and deeptech has developed, partly thanks to the massive investment of €1.8 billion since 2021 through the national quantum technology strategy driven by French President Emmanuel Macron. "French start-ups are developing innovative solutions, for example in quantum hardware, supported by programmes like Proqcima1 (launched in March 2024) which links five start-ups to high-performance calculators," details Alexia Auffèves, director of the MajuLab IRL and one of the symposium's joint organisers. Very early on Singapore had anticipated this technological shift, launching the dedicated Centre for Quantum Technologies as early as 2010. This ambitious well-funded strategy has enabled the country to attract a wealth of international talent by creating a favourable environment for academic and industrial collaboration. "Today the aim of the Quantum Engineering Programme2 (QEP3) is to work in direct liaison with industry to enable Singapore to reinforce its capabilities in quantum applications. This is the last link of the chain remaining to be developed in Singapore", explains Alexia Auffèves.
A complementary alliance for quantum strategy
In fact the two countries actually have complementary approaches to quantum strategy. In a very short timeframe, France has successfully developed an ecosystem of start-ups working on hardware development, which in turn has been able to capitalise on a wealth of long-standing fundamental research in this area. Singapore has already created a favourable environment for quantum research with spin-offs that have developed from the CQT and significant financial resources injected to provide structured support for companies and researchers. The two countries therefore have a unique opportunity to combine their respective efforts and strong points to accelerate the development of quantum innovation.
The symposium, with its discussion sessions and workshops, was also an opportunity to identify the potential for synergy and complementarity between the two nations. The aim is to take Franco-Singaporean collaboration to a new level, adding an industrial dimension around quantum technologies.
The CNRS - a driving force for international cooperation
The CNRS also plays a pivotal role in structuring French research in Singapore. Its presence is bolstered by four International Research Laboratories1
dedicated to nanotechnology, biology, artificial intelligence and quantum physics. This structure means researchers are present on site to develop long-term collaborations, thus supporting the CNRS's strategy to enhance its influence. "The CNRS has a strong presence in Singapore, the IRL model is much-envied around the world and the CNRS@CREATE subsidiary (see box) is helping to consolidate our full integration," says Alexia Auffèves.
- 1 MajuLab (CNRS/NUS/NTU/SU/UniCA) dedicated to quantum physics; CINTRA (CNRS/Thalès/Nanyang Technological University) dedicated to nanontechnologies; IPAL (Agency for Science, Technology and Research/CNRS/National University of Singapore) on artificial intelligence; and BMC, Biomechanics of Cell-Cell Contacts, which works on mechanobiology, particularly mechanical interactions between cells (CNRS/National University of Singapore).
Beyond the strategic discussions and study in the institutional and industrial sessions, the FSQS24 symposium dealt with cutting-edge scientific topics like the energetics of quantum technologies, quantum computation and simulation and their various supports (spins, neutral atoms, photons, etc.) and metrology based on quantum states of light. Another topic involved quantum algorithms that respond to industrial use cases and are capable of potentially revolutionising sectors such as finance and artificial intelligence.
The strategic position of Singapore also means it can serve as a gateway to other partnerships in Asia, particularly with well-established stakeholders in the field like Australia and South Korea or fast-rising players such as Malaysia and Thailand.
The symposium marks the start of a three-year cycle of meetings and exchanges aimed at consolidating a strategic Franco-Singaporean axis for quantum technologies. Alexia Auffèves concludes that ''we're now at the point where fundamental research and industrial applications are converging. The discussions at this symposium will help consolidate our scientific collaborations and identify potential synergies for applications."
CNRS@CREATE celebrates its 5th anniversary
Since being launched in May 2019, the CNRS's only international subsidiary, CNRS@CREATE, has developed on the CREATE research campus supported by Singapore's National Research Foundation to become a major research and innovation stakeholder in fields like artificial intelligence, the environment and health. "Five years ago, I was the subsidiary's only employee and everything remained to be created - from scientific projects to the administrative structure", recalls its director Dominique Baillargeat. CNRS@CREATE now employs around fifty people and drives a dynamic ecosystem made up of 25 French institutions and 12 industrial partners.
11 ambitious projects have been launched in those 5 years. These have involved more than 300 participants, including 111 CNRS@CREATE employees, 13 permanent expatriates and 30 PhD students. This progress is a true "human adventure" for its director who also explains that "we've built an operational scientific subsidiary which is helping raise the CNRS's profile in Singapore and the South-East Asian region along with the IRL."
CNRS@CREATE is an integral part of the CREATE Campus and thus part of a unique international dynamic. This has paved the way for the implementation of large-scale projects like the Descartes programme on hybrid AI and its applications planned to run for five years. Dominique Baillargeat explains that "we're playing in the same league as internationally renowned universities now," going on to stress the exceptional nature of CNRS@CREATE as the only subsidiary of a research organisation in the CREATE ecosystem. Alongside long-term projects like Descartes, other three-year initiatives also offer varied and ambitious prospects.
The success of this subsidiary is reflected in its statistics – over 200 publications and conferences, 7 patents filed and the launch of the Duoverse start-up. €41 million has been obtained to finance these projects and other top-flight research which has enabled CNRS@CREATE to consolidate its presence and attractiveness on the CREATE campus and in Singapore as a whole. Dominique Baillargeat is optimistic about the future. "In coming years, my ambition is for CNRS@CREATE to follow CREATE's major chosen directions for working on AI for Science, quantum, sustainable intelligent cities and health," he concludes.