A.P. govt. signs pact with SRM-A.P. for quantum reference facility

SRM University-A.P. and the Andhra Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing a quantum reference facility during the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Amaravati Quantum Valley Project.

According to a press note from the university on Sunday (February 8), the MoU was signed between Vice-Chancellor Ch. Satish Kumar and other university authorities and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications N. Lokesh. SRM-A.P. is the first academic institution to partner with the government for the Quantum Valley Project.

The Quantum Reference Centre set up at SRM-A.P. will serve as a shared national and global platform, facilitating startups, researchers and industry partners from within the country and abroad. It will test and validate quantum computing components, benchmark performance and assess efficiency and efficacy before moving to large-scale deployment, according to the press note.

This will significantly reduce barriers to entry for innovators, lower development risks and accelerate the commercialisation of quantum technologies, it added.

The university is also establishing a Quantum Institute that promotes research, teaching and training in quantum sciences and technologies, bringing together faculty and researchers from the fields of physics, computer science, electronics, mathematics and engineering, it said.

In addition to that, the university is also offering academic programmes in quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum materials.

Mr. Satish Kumar said the establishment of the quantum reference facility marks a defining step in their commitment to research excellence and technological self-reliance. The Quantum Valley Project will see an alliance of the government, academia and the industry, striving towards a shared goal, with SRM-A.P. leading the initiative by being the first Academic Partner, he added.