From Delft Blue to quantum technology: Delft and Leiden as drivers of innovation in South Holland

The world is counting down to a technological turning point: Q-Day. The day when quantum computers become powerful enough to solve problems that currently seem impossible, from discovering new medicines to building a safer internet. What is less well known: a large part of the innovation that will make the future possible is happening right here, in South Holland.

What exactly is a quantum computer?

To understand that, let's start with the ordinary computer. This works with bits: tiny switches that are either 0 or 1. Everything you have ever typed, viewed or sent ultimately consists of strings of zeros and ones. A quantum computer works differently. It uses so-called qubits. A qubit can be both 0 and 1 at the same time. This may sound like a trick, but it makes quantum computers exponentially faster than ordinary computers for certain tasks. Think of it like a maze: an ordinary computer tries each path one by one. A quantum computer, as it were, tries all paths at the same time.

What is possible with quantum?

Almost everything you do online is secured with encryption. Your banking app, your DigiD, your messages. That security is based on mathematical sums that are almost impossible for an ordinary computer to solve. A powerful quantum computer, however, can solve those sums in a matter of hours. The good news: the world is already working hard on solutions. New forms of encryption are being developed that are also resistant to quantum computers. And a large part of that work? That is happening here, in the province of South Holland. At this moment, scientists are working on applications that can fundamentally change daily life.

• Healthcare is one of the most promising fields. Quantum computers can simulate molecules at the atomic level. This means they can help discover new medicines, for diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's, much faster than is currently possible.
• Energy and climate also benefit. Quantum computers can help design better batteries for electric cars, more efficient solar panels and new methods for storing green energy.
• Logistics and transport are sectors where quantum optimization offers enormous advantages. Think of the port of Rotterdam: how do you plan thousands of ship movements, trucks and containers as efficiently as possible?
• Safety and defense are already in full swing. In addition to securing communications, quantum technology also offers new possibilities for sensors. Quantum sensors can detect submarines, predict earthquakes or map hidden infrastructure with unprecedented precision.

South Holland's position

You don't have to look to Silicon Valley for this kind of innovation. In Delft, Leiden, The Hague and Rotterdam, the future of quantum technology is being built. South Holland is one of the world's leading quantum regions. At the heart of the ecosystem is QuTech, the research institute of TU Delft. Here, hundreds of researchers work on quantum computers and networks, with international breakthroughs and a rapidly growing group of quantum startups and scale-ups as a result.

In the House of Quantum in the Delftechpark, these startups find office and laboratory space. More than ten companies have already emerged directly from TU Delft and TNO. Nine international companies have specifically established themselves there. Here, not only research is carried out, products are made here.

In Leiden, the focus is on quantum algorithms, quantum sensors and the link between quantum technology and healthcare. The Leiden House of Quantum is located in the BioScience Park and connects quantum research with the medical world.

The future is being made here

Q-Day is a serious challenge. But it is also a starting gun. It makes clear how urgent it is to invest in quantum technology, and how great the opportunities are for regions such as South Holland that started early. We play an active role in the development of field labs (practical laboratories where companies and knowledge institutions work together on real problems). But also in collaborations such as QUST, the province connects business, government and research with each other, so that the region can actually benefit from the innovations that emerge here. Together with regional organizations such as InnovationQuarter, we help attract new companies and support existing companies in taking the step towards quantum applications.

Years of investment in research, a thriving ecosystem of startups, scale-ups, and internationally renowned knowledge institutions, and active support from the province and municipalities have put the region in a unique position. The technology that will change the world tomorrow, from safer communications to new medicines and sustainable energy, is being developed for a large part within our province.