Horizon Quantum Computing will join Singapore’s National Quantum-Safe Network as a node.
SINGAPORE, Feb. 17, 2022 – The National Research Foundation of Singapore and the National University of Singapore have announced Horizon Quantum Computing, a Singapore-based company that provides software development and deployment tools for quantum computing applications, will become a node on the National Quantum-Safe Network (NUS). Horizon pledges to promote network-based research and testing that could lay the groundwork for a future quantum internet.
Horizon Quantum Computing, the first company to host a node on this quantum-safe network, has extensive experience with quantum internet applications. Dr. Joe Fitzsimons, the company’s CEO, co-invented the first universal blind quantum computing protocol in 2008 with Dr. Anne Broadbent and Dr. Elham Kashefi, allowing secure quantum computation delegation on the cloud. Because the earliest uses of quantum computing for enterprises would most likely rely on remote hardware housed by the manufacturer, the protocol has subsequently emerged as a key use case of a future quantum internet. Fitzsimons’ work on blind quantum computing has been referenced in numerous quantum internet proposals around the world, including America’s Blueprint for the Quantum Internet.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NUS and Horizon Quantum Computing would aid in the development of a quantum-safe communications network by fostering strong collaboration between academia and industry. The new National Quantum-Safe Network will test commercial quantum-safe technologies with government agencies and private businesses, undertake in-depth security system evaluations, and produce guidelines to help businesses implement such technology. The initial deployment strategy calls for the installation of ten network nodes around Singapore. The nodes will be linked to create a public network that can serve as a live experiment for companies interested in learning about quantum-safe communication technologies, as well as separate government and private networks for testing devoted users’ applications.
Horizon Quantum Computing will help with proof-of-concept and testbed activities as part of the network’s development, exploration, and translation. Furthermore, the cooperation involves research collaboration prospects in more general quantum communications and quantum internet applications, in addition to quantum-safe communication.
“As a company focused on enabling users to create and deploy quantum applications, ensuring this can be done without compromising the privacy or integrity of those applications is a key concern for Horizon,” says Joe Fitzsimons. “Data having to cross international borders or to be stored and processed on off-premises equipment in unencrypted form can limit commercial use cases of quantum computation. We see our collaboration with NUS and our participation in quantum communications experiments in Singapore as an important step towards developing the secure computing capabilities that will ultimately be necessary to fully unlock the potential of cloud-based quantum computing.”
“Start-ups are a powerful force to deliver innovation to the world. We are glad to count Horizon Quantum Computing among our collaborators in the National Quantum-Safe Network, working towards the goal of delivering advanced cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and companies handling sensitive data,” said Alexander Ling, who is an Associate Professor in NUS and Director of Singapore’s Quantum Engineering Programme, from which the network initiative will receive $8.5 million over three years.
Horizon Quantum Computing is developing a new generation of programming tools to simplify and expedite the process of developing software for quantum computers. By removing the need for prior quantum computing experience, Horizon’s tools will democratize the development of quantum-enhanced applications, making the power of quantum computing accessible to every software developer.
The company was founded in 2018 by Dr. Joe Fitzsimons, an expert in the space of quantum computing applications. Dr. Fitzsimons has over 16 years of experience in quantum computing and computational complexity theory and holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford on quantum computing architectures. The leadership team also includes Dr. Si-Hui Tan, Chief Science Officer, who holds a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT and has been actively involved in quantum research for 16 years.
SOURCE Horizon Quantum Computing