Malaga University to have first quantum computer in Andalucía
Thanks to an agreement with Quantum Labs, Malaga TechPark will become home to a machine capable of processing an unprecedented amount of data
Malaga University will soon have the first quantum computer in Andalucía, thanks to an agreement with Quantum Labs. The 'super machine' capable of processing unprecedented amounts of data could be up and running at the TechPark by the end of the year.
Quantum computers exploit the properties of quantum physics to perform certain calculations with unprecedented efficiency. Instead of using zeros and ones, they calculate with the infinite quantum states of so-called cubits. They represent the biggest breakthrough in computer technology since the invention of the transistor 80 years ago.
This implies a quantum leap for the research community. Malaga University already has one of the few supercomputers in Spain, at the UMA's Centro de Supercomputación.
The quantum computer will attract businesses from all over Spain and Europe, as regional minister of industry Jorge Paradela said during the presentation of the agreement.
"It is a tremendous source of pride for the university to have this quantum computer," rector Teodomiro López said.
The installation of this computer - the Origin Wukong model manufactured in China - is a complex task and requires qualified personnel, hence the relatively long process before its launch.
Technological sovereignty
Whoever masters this technology could achieve the unimaginable and in record time. For a long time, researchers all over the world have been working on building computers that use the strange properties of quantum mechanics and can therefore perform certain tasks incredibly fast.
Quantum computers are expected to be much faster and, above all, much more energy-efficient than supercomputers. Cracking the encryption system commonly used in global banking, for example, would take conventional supercomputers billions of years. Experts have calculated that quantum computers could, in theory, do it in an afternoon.
Another advantage of quantum computers is that they don't consume as much energy as supercomputers, which require entire rooms and consume as much electricity as a city.
What makes this milestone so important for Malaga, Andalucía and Spain is the concept of technological independence and sovereignty in an era of drastic geopolitical changes. That is why quantum researchers are doing everything they can to prevent Spain from becoming technologically dependent on other powers.
