Quantum Week 2025: A Week of Discovery, Innovation, and Collaboration in Strasbourg
From March 3rd to 7th, the European Center for Quantum Sciences (CESQ) in Strasbourg hosted an action-packed Quantum Week 2025, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, students, and the public to celebrate and explore the rapidly evolving world of quantum science and technology. Read our full report below to discover the highlights of this exciting week.
March 3 – Grand Opening & Launch of UpQuantVal
Quantum Week kicked off with a prestigious opening ceremony attended by:
- Prof. Guido Pupillo, Director of CESQ
- Prof. Michel Deneken, President of the University of Strasbourg
- Irène Weiss, Regional Councillor, Région Grand Est
- Pia Imbs, President of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg
Highlights included:
- A compelling keynote lecture by Philippe Bouyer on “From matter waves to quantum sensors”
- A visit from Stephan Steinlein (German Ambassador to France) and Heike Thiele (German Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe)
- The inauguration of the “Voyage quantique” exhibition
- The official launch of the UpQuantVal Interreg project, part of the Quantum Valley Upper Rhine initiative
March 4 – Inauguration of Maison du Quantique Grand Est (MaQuEst)
The second day marked the inauguration of MaQuEst, a key milestone for the regional quantum ecosystem. The event featured:
- Opening remarks by Prof. Guido Pupillo and Prof. Christophe Couteau
- Keynote by Dr. Félix Givois (GENCI) on HPC and hybrid quantum computing
- Multiple workshops and panel discussions with representatives from Grand Est Region, Quantum Delta NL, and Le Lab Quantique
- Industry perspectives shared by QPerfect, Euro-Information, and others
This day highlighted the ambitions of the Maisons du Quantique network in building a thriving French and European quantum ecosystem.
March 5 – Open Day for the Public: Voyage Quantique
Over 400 curious visitors of all ages attended an interactive day dedicated to public engagement:
- Hands-on workshops and demos
- Activities tailored for schools, educators, and lifelong learners
- Complex quantum concepts like entanglement and superposition were made fun and accessible, reinforcing CESQ’s mission to inspire future generations.
March 6 – Discover Quantum: Industry Day
The "Discover Quantum" Industry Day showcased how quantum technologies are making waves in fields from finance to healthcare. Co-organized with QPerfect, the event featured:
- Cutting-edge talks on the global state of quantum computing
- Introduction of the aQCess platform, based on neutral atom technology
- Presentations by companies including Quantinuum, QunaSys, Alysophil, Anzaetek Inc., QCentroid, and more
This day emphasized the real-world potential of quantum applications and the need for cross-sector collaboration.
March 6–7 – CESQ Quantum Hackathon
The week concluded with CESQ’s first-ever Quantum Hackathon, hosted by PhD students Clément Gradziel and Laura Pecorari in partnership with QPerfect. Over 30 hours, 24 participants from 9 countries tackled quantum challenges using QPerfect’s MIMIQ emulator.
Two teams received awards:
- Most Creative Team: Implementation of a surface code for quantum error correction - Jan Ljubas, David U., Søren Jefsen, George Alexandra Pazitor mentored by Asier Piñeiro Orioli
- Best Scientific Contribution: Quantum version of Conway’s Game of Life - Raul Dos Santos, Konrad Deka, Varna Shenoy, Malgorzata mentored by Maximilian Müllenbach
French MP Louise Morel joined for the prize ceremony, capping off a week of innovation and discovery.
Quantum Week 2025 was a vibrant testament to the power of collaboration between academia, industry, and the public. As Europe continues to push the boundaries of quantum science, events like these are key to building a strong and inclusive quantum future.
