Peter Krogstrup head of new quantum program

The Institute aims – in collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation – to establish a world-leading quantum ecosystem that will enable the development of fault-tolerant quantum computing technology to solve important challenges in the life sciences.

“We are delighted that Peter Krogstrup has decided to take this opportunity. Peter is an expert and a leader in the field and will be instrumental in our efforts to further strengthen the quantum computing research community in Copenhagen,“ says Jan Thomsen, head of the Niels Bohr Institute.

This is seconded by Dean Katrine Krogh Andersen of the Faculty of Science “Peter has maintained an affiliation at the Niels Bohr Institute during his employment for Microsoft. We are extremely happy that he has now decided to come back to have his main position as a Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute, which remains one of the strongest international communities for quantum science. We are also happy that he will maintain a strong link to Microsoft, which has been a strong collaborator with our quantum community for a long time. We plan to build the link from quantum computing to life sciences through our already strong activities in quantum chemistry and in quantum algorithms at the Faculty of Science.”

Today, many major societal challenges are very complex and require data analysis at a scale and speed of which traditional computers are not capable. With superior computing power, a quantum computer has the potential to offer new insights into, e.g., biological processes and accelerate the development of new drugs to benefit patients and society.

“A quantum computer will offer new opportunities within the life sciences. It will boost the entire research community to benefit everyone working in the quantum field and significantly advance the field of life science. We are therefore contributing to the development of this research programme,” says Lene Oddershede, Senior Vice President, Natural and Technical Sciences, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

While starting in his new position on 1 June, Peter Krogstrup will also continue to be affiliated with Microsoft and support the team’s effort towards developing a scalable quantum machine.

"With the new initiative, I look forward to help further strengthening the Danish and international quantum ecosystem and hope to be able to use my knowledge and experience to advance the quantum research infrastructure and reach new standards together with the talented staff of the Niels Bohr Institute. I also look forward to continuing working with the Microsoft team. Microsoft Quantum is on a promising path towards fault-tolerant quantum computing and plays a very important role in developing quantum technologies,” says Peter Krogstrup.

“It is great to see that the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Niels Bohr Institute will continue to boost the local quantum ecosystem. Microsoft established the Quantum Center in Lyngby due to the amazing talent in the area, and this investment will continue to strengthen it further,” says Lauri Sainiemi, General Manager, Azure Quantum at Microsoft.