CSC – IT Center for Science is a Finnish center of expertise in information technology owned by the Finnish state and higher education institutions. We provide international high-quality ICT expert services for higher education institutions, research institutes, culture, public administration and enterprises. Our vision for 2030 aims at a better future for all of us, based on digitalisation and sustainable development. Our goal is shared, and we are moving towards it with our owners, customers and partners.
CSC is participating in OpenSuperQPlus on two fronts. In the effort on efficient integration of quantum computing resources into practically useful hybrid quantum/classical HPC workflows, CSC leads the task on unifying cloud access to the various quantum computer systems within the project. This draws on synergies from several existing initiatives for setting up user-friendly access portals throughout Europe, such as the Nordic-Estonian NordIQuEst project and the Finnish Quantum-Computing Infrastructure (FiQCI).
CSC is also extending the capability of the Elmer finite element code to enable highly parallel and efficient quantum processing unit (QPU) circuit design and simulation. The focus will be on extending the modeling tool to enable running large, computationally demanding jobs on HPC infrastructure. All the software components and interfaces developed in the task will be open source and provided to the community through public repositories.
There are several complementary ways to provide access to quantum computing, and here, diversity is crucial. At the same time, there is a clear need for more efficient exchange of the know-how that is building up in the different projects throughout Europe. OpenSuperQPlus provides a forum for turning discussion into concrete actions.
Mikael Johansson
Manager for Quantum Technologies at CSC