CITIC launches Quantum Lab to advance applied quantum computing in Galicia

The Centre for Information and Communications Technology Research (CITIC) at the Universidade da Coruña, part of the CIGUS Network, an initiative promoted by the Xunta de Galicia that brings together centres within the Galician research system that have demonstrated their scientific excellence, has launched the Quantum Lab CITIC, a scientific facility aimed at developing applied quantum computing and transferring it to the productive sector.

The project has received an investment of €1.04 million from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the State Research Agency, co-funded by the European Union. This funding positions CITIC as a node of excellence in quantum technologies, with impact in areas such as public health, industrial cybersecurity, energy transition and international finance.

The laboratory is conceived as an advanced research environment where high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and quantum computing converge, with the aim of addressing highly complex problems that exceed the capabilities of traditional systems and developing hybrid solutions. Among the main research lines of the Quantum Lab are the development of quantum machine learning techniques and quantum artificial intelligence, focused on creating hybrid models capable of processing information in highly uncertain contexts.

The laboratory will place special emphasis on the practical application of these technologies in strategic sectors. For example, in the field of health, algorithms will be developed for the automated analysis of clinical and biomedical data, while in finance the focus will be on portfolio optimisation and risk modelling in complex scenarios.

The lab is also designed as an open collaboration platform for companies and public organisations, which will be able to access its capabilities to develop proof of concept projects, validate algorithms or assess the feasibility of quantum technologies prior to their adoption. In this context, it is connected with initiatives such as the ITG-UDC Chair in Quantum Technology and with strategic networks at both regional level, such as CESGA and the Galician Quantum Technologies Network, and European level, including the Quantum Excellence Centre and ETP4HPC.

With the launch of the Quantum Lab, CITIC strengthens its commitment to quantum technology research and its role in knowledge transfer, contributing to consolidating an innovation ecosystem focused on the practical application of these technologies in Galicia.