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Mitacs funding helps Ericsson and ÉTS build quantum skills

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October 23, 2026 by Ivy Delaney

Ericsson Canada and École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) are collaborating to advance quantum computing research in Quebec with funding from the Mitacs Accelerate program, the company says. The project focuses on developing improved quantum methods for more efficient telecom network operations and training researchers in the field.

“Quantum computing will unlock new ways to make telecommunications networks more efficient, and Canada is well positioned to lead that work,” says Nishant Grover, President, Ericsson Canada. Building on Biamonte’s foundational contributions to variational quantum computing, the collaboration investigates methods to mitigate errors and improve optimization in quantum algorithms.

ÉTS and Ericsson Advance Variational Quantum Algorithms for Telecom

Mitacs is directing over $34.8 million into quantum technologies, with a recent investment supporting a collaboration between Ericsson and École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) focused on practical applications of variational quantum algorithms. This funding, announced alongside the expansion of Ericsson Canada’s Montreal Quantum Research Hub, specifically supports a project titled “Toward Scalable Variational Quantum Algorithms: A Dissipative Approach to Mitigation and Optimization.” The project uses the expertise of Professor Jacob Biamonte at ÉTS, a recognized leader in variational quantum computing, and Ericsson’s quantum program researchers to address limitations in current quantum hardware. Researchers are using both quantum hardware and simulations to enhance the reliability and performance of quantum computation, with a direct aim toward solving complex optimization problems relevant to telecom networks.

Anders Vestergren, Head of Ericsson Research, explains that “This partnership with ÉTS represents exactly the kind of collaboration we need to move quantum computing from promise to practice.” He emphasizes the potential of variational quantum algorithms, contingent on overcoming existing hardware constraints, and highlights the concrete steps being taken to realize quantum-accelerated networks. This partnership builds on a 70-year history of Ericsson’s involvement in Canada’s technology ecosystem, and represents the second Mitacs-funded academic project established under the Montreal Quantum Research Hub. The hub, created in 2022, explores quantum-based algorithms for accelerating processing in telecom networks and distributed quantum computing, encouraging collaboration with Canadian universities and the broader quantum community.

Kathy Baig, Director General and Chief Executive Officer at ÉTS, notes that advanced quantum infrastructure is essential for research and talent development, adding, “This partnership with Ericsson gives our researchers the means to pursue ambitious work at the frontier of quantum computing while contributing to Canada’s long-term scientific and technological leadership.” The project is designed to cultivate a skilled workforce, with students gaining hands-on experience with real quantum hardware alongside researchers from both Ericsson and ÉTS.

Dr. Stephen Lucas, CEO of Mitacs, states, “In this project, students are working alongside Ericsson and ÉTS researchers on real quantum hardware, building the skills industry needs right here in Quebec.” This emphasis on practical training aims to translate research investment into tangible business results, solidifying Canada’s position as a leader in the emerging quantum technology landscape.

Quantum computing will unlock new ways to make telecommunications networks more efficient, and Canada is well positioned to lead that work.

Nishant Grover, President, Ericsson Canada

This focus on practical implementation distinguishes the project, signaling a move towards translating quantum potential into tangible benefits for network management. Ericsson’s commitment to Canadian innovation spans 70 years, and the Montreal Quantum Research Hub, established in 2022, is the central location for this partnership.

This partnership with ÉTS represents exactly the kind of collaboration we need to move quantum computing from promise to practice.

Anders Vestergren, Head of Ericsson Research
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Ivy Delaney

Ivy Delaney has been working with neural networks and machine learning since the mid-nineties, back when a couple of hidden layers and a long afternoon of training counted as ambitious. She has watched the field go from academic curiosity to the thing quietly running underneath everything, and she brings that long view to quantum computing. For Quantum Zeitgeist she covers the ground where the two fields meet. That means quantum machine learning and the variational algorithms it leans on, and it also means the less glamorous but more interesting story of classical machine learning already doing real work inside quantum machines, decoding error-correcting codes, calibrating noisy hardware and learning the error models that simulators depend on. She writes about the hardware those algorithms have to run on too, and about the post-quantum cryptography scramble that the same hardware has set off. Her stories typically start with the paper, whether that is peer-reviewed work, conference proceedings or an arXiv preprint, with the source linked so you can hold a claim up against the research it came from. She is unimpressed by benchmarks that will not say what they beat, and by demonstrations that only work in the press release.

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