OQI
OQI
OQI

OQI presents sustainable quantum computing at EPFL

17th March 2025

Photos by EPFL QSE Center

OQI partnered with  the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE) at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) on a new course offered in the Quantum Science and Engineering Master’s programme—a three-part course introducing students to the potential of quantum computing to address global challenges aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

Starting with an introductory session led by Marieke Hood (OQI Advisory Committee Co-Chair), the history of OQI was outlined—from its inception by GESDA to its placement at CERN for a three-year pilot phase. During the first session with the students, OQI’s key pillars of work were outlined, in particular the development of SDG-focused use cases to capacity building activities and efforts promoting the multilateral governance of quantum computing. 

In the following session, Catherine Lefebvre (OQI Applications Lead) and Philipp Kammerlander (OQI Applications Expert) introduced students to OQI’s methodology for developing use cases addressing global challenges. The session highlighted OQI’s approach with the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between quantum experts, subject matter experts, UN organisations and NGOs. Taking inspiration from the work at OQI, students had the opportunity to test the methodology, explore how quantum computing could be applied to tackle societal problems and pitch  their own use case ideas to the group.

 

For the final session led by Marianne Schoerling (OQI Capacity Building Lead) and Philippe Caroff (Executive Director, EPFL Center for Quantum Science and Engineering), students had the opportunity to play the Quantum Diplomacy Game—an interactive role play game that immerses participants in a fictional future, exploring the challenges and opportunities of quantum computing while highlighting its geopolitical impact as an emerging technology. The session was concluded with a debrief that allowed all participants to jointly reflect on the risk of not anticipating and lessons learnt for multilateral governance of quantum computing. 

 

Find out more about all our use cases and explore the Quantum Diplomacy Game.

2025 | Open Quantum Institute

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Learn about engagement opportunities

OQI Partners are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Either have served as OQI’s spearheading partners during its incubation phase or have consistently engaged resources to OQI’s work as OQI members for at least a year
  2. Commit to co-shape the OQI’s unique value propositions for the three years of the pilot throughout the 4A’s​
  3. Are vetted by the OQI Advisory Committee
  4. Abide to OQI’s values and openness principles

OQI Members are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or their impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Have disclosed their governance structure
  2. Commit to actively contribute on at least one of the 4A’s assiduously for at least one year​
  3. Have appointed at least one expert from their institution as focal point of contact for OQI and contributor to its working groups
  4. Abide to OQI’s values
  5. Have submitted a complete membership form with supporting documentation and are vetted by the OQI Management Team
  6. Qualify for partner level after having demonstrated their commitment for at least one year​

OQI Friends are individuals (such as experts from the private or public sector, countries, citizens) who are committed to open science, inclusivity and all values as set out in OQI’s charter and associate themselves with the OQI.

Friends socialise the OQI to their communities.

Downloadable PDF version of Charter

 

Description:

The Open Quantum Institute (OQI) is a multilateral governance initiative that promotes global and inclusive access to quantum computing and the development of applications for the benefit of humanity. As a novel science diplomacy instrument, it brings together research, diplomacy, private sector and philanthropy stakeholders. OQI is hosted by CERN during its pilot phase (2024-2026).

 

Mission:

• Accelerating applications for humanity: Realising the full potential of quantum computing to have the widest possible societal impact by accelerating the development of use cases geared towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and succeeding framework , thanks to the combined forces of researchers, developers and entrepreneurs from academia and private sector as well as the United Nations, and large NGOs
• Access for all: Providing global, inclusive and equitable access to a pool of public and private quantum computers and simulators available via the cloud
• Advancing capacity building: Developing educational tools to enable everyone around the world to contribute to the development of quantum computing and make the most of the technology
• Activating multilateral governance for the SDGs: Providing a neutral forum to help shape multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs

 

Values:

• Inclusivity, global scope
  • Enable people from all countries, regardless of whether they have any quantum computing capability of their own, to benefit from and to participate in the development of (i) quantum computing applications that address global challenges, in particular those that are closely related to their own specific challenges, and (ii) the multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs
• Openness
  • Share experiences, knowledge, and methods for the benefit of all, following Open Science best practice
  • Make openly available the results – outcomes of joint activities related to the OQI mission conducted by the OQI community – to society via open repositories and/or through the use of open licences
• Focus on impact
  • Ensure that applications are developed for their quantum computing potential to tackle real-world problems that will benefit humanity
  • Consider and balance their ethical, legal, and societal implications
• Independence
  • Enable everyone to participate free from individual, national, corporate or any other agendas
  • Develop applications with a technology neutral approach.
• Collaboration
  • Foster a community of diverse expertise, backgrounds and geographies, enabled by international cooperation and diplomacy

 

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