December 5, 2022
Two institutions, one goal: the creation of a joint chair in quantum communication. On November 30th 2022 Constructor Group based in Schaffhausen Switzerland signed an agreement with University of Geneva for advancements in quantum science and technology, strengthening Switzerland’s position in the area.
Building bridges between research, incubation, industry and teaching: this is the purpose of the new chair in quantum communication created in Geneva headed by Professor Wolfgang Tittel. The chair, which is the result of a partnership between the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Constructor Group - a private institute which is part of the Constructor ecosystem - will focus its activities on quantum information technologies, such as data transfer, quantum memories and cryptography. The agreement, signed on November 30th in Geneva, is a part of a broader vision shared in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2021 that will reinforce the newly created Geneva Quantum Center. It will also work on the development of highly sensitive quantum sensors. As a part of the Constructor ecosystem, Constructor University, based in Bremen Germany, benefits from the association to the cooperation.
“This collaboration with Constructor Group enables UNIGE to further sustain and support its longstanding history in quantum technology research. We are thrilled to merge our shared vision in establishing an internationally recognized quantum chair with the goal to advance academic offerings and explore applications of these fascinating technologies across the field,” noted Prof. Yves Flückiger, Rector of UNIGE.
Shared expertise
Quantum physics research, a field of expertise of the UNIGE and the Constructor ecosystem, has led in the past to numerous technological innovations such as computing, mobile phones and satellite navigation. This field of research is now driving a second revolution, particularly in the field of information: researchers are currently exploiting quantum properties to create telecommunication networks that allow data to be transferred in an ultra-secure manner. These same properties are being used to develop detectors for light particles (photons) of unprecedented sensitivity.
Among the world leaders in the field, the UNIGE is the first institution to have carried out quantum communications outside the protected environment of the laboratory, using optical fibres. It has also enabled the creation of the largest private company in the field, ID Quantique, active in cryptography and founded by physicists Nicolas Gisin, Hugo Zbinden and Grégoire Ribordy.
The Constructor Institute of Technology in Schaffhausen focuses on eight research areas, including quantum technology, software engineering, cyber protection and robotics. Founded in 2019, it already has an extensive network of partners in industry and academia. Its purpose is to create a unique ecosystem where the world's leading experts in computing, physics and business come together to find innovative solutions to global challenges.
About Constructor University and Constructor Group:
An international community, vibrant and diverse. Offering academic excellence, ensuring the highest standards in research and teaching. Empowering students to solve the world’s pressing challenges through knowledge and science: Constructor University is a top-ranked, English-speaking, private university. Founded in 2001, it provides a wide range of 25+ academic programs, and PhD. The Constructor ecosystem, which comprises the university, located in Bremen, Germany and an institute in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Over 1.800 students from more than 110 nations on campus benefit from a unique interdisciplinary, foundational theoretical and practical education, enriched with a buzzing entrepreneurial culture that prepare young professionals to thrive in the job market. With 6.000+ alumni worldwide, our community keeps expanding yearly.
The research-centric faculty projects are funded by the German Research Foundation and the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation as well as by globally leading companies.
Constructor University benefits from partnerships with high-ranked universities such as Carnegie Mellon, the University of Geneva or the National University of Singapore School of Computing, and technology companies such as Anisoprint, JetBrains and ChemDiv.
The Constructor ecosystem, a global institution dedicated to addressing the main challenges of the world through science, education, and technology. Apart from the university, the ecosystem relies on several for-profit entities that provide technology infrastructures and solutions, life-long education programs, consulting services, and funding: Alemira by Constructor, Rolos by Constructor, Constructor Learning and Constructor Capital.
Contact Constructor University:
Daisy Juknischke-Heinsen | Corporate Communications
presse [at] jacobs-university.de | Tel.: +49 421 200-4532
Contact Constructor Group:
Natalia Tashkeeva
VP of Communications
Mobile: +65 9643 9080 | nt [at] sit.org