With the participation of prominent officials from the Ministry of Science, national academics, international researchers, and representatives from the public and private sectors, the central day of Quantum Technologies Week was held at CEDENNA. This unprecedented commemoration was promoted by the Ministry of Science as part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technologies, declared by the United Nations.
The event was part of the fourth edition of the QuSantiago conference, organized by CEDENNA in conjunction with the Ministry of Science and various universities. This year's event brought together leading figures such as physicist Enrique Solano, founder of Kipu Quantum, and IBM researcher Kristan Temme, who gave keynote addresses on the current challenges of quantum computing and its potential disruptive applications in areas such as healthcare, energy, communications, and mining.
During the event, Ignacio Silva Santa Cruz, head of the Ministry's Emerging Technologies Division, announced that Chile will have a National Quantum Technologies Strategy by December 2025, proposed by an advisory council composed of representatives from universities, research centers, and companies. "This is a field under construction, with enormous potential. Chile cannot be left behind," he stated.
The activities included technical workshops such as "Infinite and Finite DMRG: Fundamentals and Practice," led by researchers Natalia Valderrama, Guillermo Romero, and Francisco Albarrán, the latter a CEDENNA researcher and member of the ministerial commission for the development of the aforementioned strategy. Albarrán also participated in the closing discussion, where the need to train young talent and the promotion of public policies that foster the quantum ecosystem in Chile were highlighted.
“While quantum technologies are emerging and not yet perfect, Chile and South America have the human talent and creativity that can perfectly replace and complement the large investments of the developed world. They have the ability to create with limited tools. We have done it this way throughout history,” emphasizes Dr. Francisco Albarrán, a research associate at CEDENNA and professor at the Department of Physics at USACH.
"Now we have the opportunity to invest in creative people and education in these technologies, create specialized university programs, and seek to develop startups and businesses in this field."
Quantum Technologies Week included activities in different regions of the country, with seminars, open labs, talks for schoolchildren, and technical workshops, reaffirming that Chile has quantum technology!
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