Ilmenau team convinces: Second place in international quantum competition!

Ilmenau team convinces: Second place in international quantum competition!

The awards ceremony for the “Quantum Simulator Challenge 2024” took place on March 28, 2025 at the Fujitsu Uvance Kawasaki Tower in Tokyo, Japan. The event was organized by Fujitsu and aimed to promote innovative solutions in the field of quantum computing. 46 teams from 13 countries took part in this prestigious competition, working on individual problems over a period of four months - from July to November 2024. How tu-ilmenau.de reported, the team from the Technical University of Ilmenau took second place.

In total, the teams carried out 2,282 calculation jobs on Fujitsu's 40-qubit quantum simulator, which corresponds to an impressive total usage time of 14,500 hours of operation. This illustrates the high level of commitment and innovative strength of the participants. The award wasn't just about fame - a total of $100,000 in prize money was awarded to honor the best research in the quantum field. The results of this competition could have far-reaching impacts on various industries, including aerospace, automotive and healthcare.

The winners and their projects

First place was won by Delft University of Technology for its project on optimizing shift schedules in industrial manufacturing. The team used up to 39 qubits. Second place went to the Technical University of Ilmenau with their innovative approach “QuPIV – Quantum Algorithm for Cross-Correlation Analysis in Particle Image Velocimetry”. In particular, the quantum solution for large-scale fluid analysis for flow measurement, which used up to 32 qubits, was recognized. Third place was taken by the Japanese startup QunaSys Inc., which developed a simulation of electronic molecular states that included up to 39 qubits. The team from the University of Ilmenau, consisting of Julia Ingelmann, Philipp Pfeffer and Theo Buyer, received prize money of 30,000 US dollars, which will be used to take part in scientific conferences and present their research internationally.

Technological background and challenges

The competition not only provided a platform for research and development, but also used the latest technologies such as Quantum Decision Diagram (QDD) and VQE acceleration technology. These technologies enabled a significant reduction in processing times - from 2,107 seconds to just 4 seconds for certain calculations. The use of quantum computers, such as fraunhofer.de represents, if the many challenges such as error reduction and scalability can be overcome, could revolutionize the way complex problems are solved.

Quantum computers have the potential to make significant advances in areas such as the development of new materials, optimized logistics and rapid drug development. The connection between quantum computing and technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence could also trigger new developments.

The success of the Ilmenau University of Technology team in the Quantum Simulator Challenge shows how important research collaborations and the application of the latest technologies in the field of quantum computing are, so that the future remains exciting.