SemiQon’s focus on qubit gate speed and operation aligns with a newly articulated goal within the UK national quantum strategy: achieving a trillion gate operations for computation, the company says. This emphasis on computational volume, rather than qubit fidelity metrics, validates the company’s approach to quantum processor development.
“At SemiQon, we have been saying this since we began our journey: It is all about qubit performance at scale,” a company representative stated. The UK is also examining Finland’s early investment in publicly funded cleanroom infrastructure, like Micronova and the planned Kvanttinova, as a model for reducing development costs and supporting quantum hardware companies.
SemiQon Targets Trillion Gate Operations for Quantum Computation
SemiQon’s ambition extends beyond achieving high performance in a limited number of qubits. The company aims to deliver processors capable of handling the scale necessary for practical computation. To support hardware development, policymakers are now considering a model similar to Finland’s investment in publicly funded cleanroom infrastructure, providing shared access to costly resources and reducing the capital burden on companies like SemiQon. High-quality metrology is also recognized as essential for advancing quantum technologies, as highlighted by Sir Peter Knight during recent presentations.
SemiQon has already taken steps to address this need by establishing its own laboratory within the Finnish Metrology institute MIKES, part of the family, to ensure rigorous testing and characterization of its processors. “We have to deliver more with less. Sounds ambitious and challenging but that is what makes us stand apart in the global quantum race,” a company representative stated, emphasizing the need for efficient, high-throughput quantum processing.
Finland’s Micronova & Kvanttinova Enable Scalable Quantum Hardware Development
Micronova and the forthcoming Kvanttinova facilities demonstrate Finland’s early success in using public investment to create cleanroom microfabrication infrastructure, benefiting multiple startups and companies within the nation’s quantum ecosystem. This approach minimizes capital investment burdens for smaller hardware companies, a model now attracting attention from policymakers in the United Kingdom seeking to replicate similar facilities.
The UK is currently second globally in percentage of GDP allocated to quantum technologies, a level of investment Finland, with its smaller scale, cannot currently match. Finland’s strategy centers on maximizing output with limited resources, a philosophy reflected in the company’s pursuit of high qubit performance at scale. High-precision metrology is central to improving measurement accuracy, and SemiQon intends to use the deep expertise available at MIKES, the Finnish Metrology Institute, to refine its processes.
Other European nations are already actively engaging with the UK’s quantum technology sector, and Finland recognizes the importance of establishing similar partnerships. The company hopes these strengthened ties will allow both nations to accelerate progress in the field, and deliver more with less.
It is all about qubit performance at scale. The first aspect that was gratifying is one of the objectives set in the UK national quantum strategy. The goal is to reach a trillion gate operations – not T1, T2 or qubit gate fidelity but it is about gate operations, which form the basis for computation.
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