The Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST) and the Munich Quantum Valley (MQV) hosted the Quantum Talents Symposium 2026 on October 26 and 27, bringing together eight early-career researchers from Europe and North America. The symposium aimed to support promising scientists, encourage collaboration and build a diverse quantum research community by providing a platform to present work and exchange ideas.
“I believe the Quantum Talents Symposium is unique in bringing together junior international scientists from a wide range of backgrounds in quantum science,” shared finalist Lukas Homeier. Beyond the two-day program, the researchers benefited from a week-long exchange with Munich research groups.
Munich Hosts International Early-Career Quantum Researchers
The 2026 Quantum Talents Symposium awarded prizes totaling 2,000 EUR to three early-career researchers on October 27, recognizing outstanding contributions to quantum science and technology. Aron Kerschbaumer received a 2,000 EUR Quantum Talents Prize, while Camryn Undershute was also awarded 2,000 EUR for research into Engineered Decoherence in Hybrid Mechanical-Superconducting Systems. Roland Farrell secured the 5,000 EUR Entanglement Prize, sponsored by the QuantumLeaks Foundation. Participants included researchers, among others, each selected for their innovative work in areas ranging from quantum many-body physics to quantum information.
The symposium also featured a “Three Minutes of Science” contest, showing accessible presentations of complex research topics by scientists from Munich’s quantum science community. Five researchers participated in the final pitch competition after receiving dedicated science communication training.
Karolina Weber of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) won the contest with a presentation titled “Hybrid quantum networks via Erbium,” earning a 1,000 EUR travel grant to support her attendance at a future scientific meeting. Jury member Rudolf Groß of the Walther-Meißner-Institute highlighted the importance of clear communication in the field, stating, “Is quantum science and technology difficult and hard to understand? No, it is not, if presented in the right way.” This was demonstrated by five enthusiastic quantum science communicators within the MCQST Science Pitch Contest.
The organizers expressed their gratitude to the jury, sponsors, and participating institutions for their contributions to the success of the 2026 Quantum Talents Symposium, and look forward to continuing to support the next generation of quantum scientists.
I believe the Quantum Talents Symposium is unique in bringing together junior international scientists from a wide range of backgrounds in quantum science.
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