King Willem-Alexander and President Macron are given a quantum tour of the Faculty of Science

Prof. Florian Schreck and Prof. Professor Philippe Bouyer will show the King and the French president around the UvA's Quantum Gases & Quantum Information Lab and talk about the promising possibilities of quantum technology. This will be followed by a round table discussion with CEOs of Dutch and French companies.

During the visit, the Dutch-French collaboration in the field of quantum technology is at the centre. The Netherlands is a leading international centre and hub for quantum technology and applications. Together with France, European open strategic autonomy is being worked on in this area, making the EU less dependent and safer.

Possible nuisance

Due to this visit, certain areas and passages are (temporarily) closed. You might experience inconvenience by this and have to find a different meeting/workplace than usual. There will also be more security personnel around. We ask for your understanding and cooperation to ensure that this visit goes smoothly.

Therefore, on Wednesday 12 April from 8am - 2pm, you cannot use study rooms B1.19 A to E, I, J, M and B1.24 D to J.

Ground braking

The Quantum Gases & Quantum Information lab of the UvA's Institute of Physics houses one of Quantum Delta NL's testbeds for the Quantum Sensing catalyst programme and is involved in the Quantum Computing catalyst programme in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology. The lab is conducting pioneering research in the field of matter waves (such as the realisation of the first continuous atom laser) that can greatly improve future quantum sensors. The UvA is currently developing a new building at the Amsterdam Science Park specifically aimed at a large part of its quantum activities, this lab will also be housed there.

The strong ties with France are part of a trilateral cooperation with France and Germany (under the recently signed MoU). The ambition is for the lab to become one of the hubs of a European shared metrology network. This network uses quantum sensors for various applications for earth observation related to climate change, such as floods, dikes and changes in the oceans.

Round table discussion

After the lab visit, the King and President Macron will attend a round table discussion with CEOs, scientists and investors about the importance of strengthening the European deep tech ecosystem in the context of the EU Chips Act and Quantum technology.