Berlin In principle, everyone agrees – science, business and politics: In order to develop a German quantum computer, a national effort must be made, nothing less than the future viability of the German economy is at stake.
The federal government has made two billion euros available for the next four years to promote quantum technology. A sum that can be seen even in comparison to the leading technological nations of the USA and China.
But there is a row when it comes to how the money should be spent. The ministries and research institutes involved quarrel over responsibilities and funding methods. Will Germany’s quantum offensive fail before it has even started?
Especially in the Ministry of Economic Affairs it is fermenting. In an internal paper, the House of Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) criticizes the concept that has been presented so far as “discouraged and not ambitious enough”. The interests of start-ups are “completely ignored”.
With the unusually harshly worded document available to the Handelsblatt, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is opposing the “Quantum Computing Roadmap” that scientists and industry representatives have drawn up at the request of the Chancellery.
Central criticism of the Ministry of Economic Affairs: The roadmap is too research-heavy. “The version of the roadmap presented bears a strong research-policy signature and thus pays little attention to the enormous economic potential for application of quantum technologies,” the paper says. The concept stands “at right angles to the goals of the economic stimulus package”.
Stay competitive with quantum technology
There is no doubt about the importance of quantum technology. Quantum computers can solve tasks for which conventional computers would take centuries. German industry in particular could benefit greatly from the complex simulations that they make possible, for example in the development of highly efficient batteries or the manufacture of new materials for car construction. Experts warn: Anyone who does not master the technology is losing their competitiveness and sovereignty.
The expert council commissioned by the Chancellery presented the roadmap to Chancellery Minister Helge Braun last week. According to this, several competence networks, so-called hubs, are to be created on which quantum computers “from technology platforms to software” are to be developed. A “cross-departmental umbrella organization” is to coordinate the work and ensure “the efficient implementation of the overall strategy”, as stated in the roadmap.
Within five years it should be possible to build “a more competitive quantum computer with at least 100 individually controllable qubits”. Qubits are the equivalent of bits in conventional computers. A bit is either zero or one. A qubit, on the other hand, can be zero and one at the same time, which gives quantum computers their enormous power.
The verdict of the Department of Commerce on the roadmap goal: “not ambitious enough”, especially with a view to the plans of US corporations. 100 qubits correspond to only one “tenth of the power of IBM announced by 2023 ”.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is also cracking down on the proposal to found an umbrella organization: The roadmap creates “an extremely sluggish and cumbersome, almost incapable of action” structure, with which the race to catch up with quantum technology cannot succeed.
Instead, “courage, determination, a pioneering spirit and speed” are required. The Ministry of Economic Affairs names the corona vaccine developers Curevac and as role models Biontech as well as the US companies Tesla and SpaceX.
Altmaier’s officials are angry because their own suggestions were not considered by the expert council. They looked like this: The two billion euros from the economic stimulus plan should be divided between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Research. Both houses should join forces with research institutes and companies to form two consortia, each of which should pursue its own approach to the development of a quantum computer.
Concept too cumbersome
The Ministry of Economic Affairs chose the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as a partner. The Chancellery, however, insisted on a uniform strategy and commissioned the Expert Council. The DLR was left out.
There you are just as disgruntled as in the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “The expert council should present a coordinated paper, we have submitted our suggestions,” says Hansjörg Dittus, the responsible member of the DLR board of directors, the Handelsblatt. Instead, they were presented with a fait accompli.
Dittus criticizes that the concept of the expert council is too cumbersome. “If you want to promote disruptive technologies, you also have to be open to disruptive funding methods. We have to be quick, because complicated tendering processes won’t get us any further. “
The example of MP3 technology, a German industrial-political trauma, is mentioned again and again in the discussion: the know-how had been developed in Germany, but it was the US company Applewho used it to revolutionize the music business. So that history does not repeat itself, the DLR concept should be strongly application-oriented; start-ups in particular should play an important role.
