In brief: Singapore government to invest $18m in quantum engineering

The National Research Foundation (NRF), a Singapore government-backed R&D department, is set to launch a US$18 million fund aimed at boosting the country’s quantum engineering capabilities. Led by researchers from the National University of Singapore and overseas partners, the Quantum Engineering Programme (QEP) will build upon 20 years of quantum science research from the country’s R&D facilities, to prototype and develop quantum technologies and devices.

Source: E27

“Quantum computing, if realized, would break today’s most prevalent cryptographic systems in minutes,” said Heng Swee Keat, minister for finance and NRF chairman, at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH). With US and Chinese public and private sectors already betting big on quantum computing, Singapore may need to find a niche it can excel in.