Israel Establishes Quantum Research Fund
A budget of 100 million ILS will finance the new fund over the next five years. The objective of the program is to support outstanding research groups in Israeli universities, engaged in research and development in the field of quantum science and technology
IsraelDefense
| 19/12/2018
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The field of quantum science and technology is a strategic field currently growing rapidly worldwide. Israel's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science & Technology, the Council for Higher Education and the Israel Innovation Authority are currently consolidating a national program for the field of quantum science. The first step in this program is the establishment of a research fund for quantum science and technology, which would constitute the basis for an ecosystem for this field. The new fund is a cooperative alliance of the Directorate for Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) at the Israel Ministry of Defense, the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and the Israel Science fund. A budget of 100 million ILS ($26.5 million) will finance the new fund over the next five years.
The objective of the program is to support outstanding research groups in Israeli universities, engaged in research and development in the field of quantum science and technology. Government support in the form of substantial grants, on the scale of about 75 million ILS, will go to the researchers directly. These grants will finance the costs of the research activity or the upgrading of the equipment required for the research activity. The remaining funds will be diverted to further development of the field, according to the considerations of IMOD’s DDR&D.
Israeli PM and DM Benjamin Netanyahu: “I welcome the establishment of this innovative research fund, which will keep Israel at the top of the global technology and research activity. From a world power in cyber to a world power in quantum science, we will continue to lead toward significant advances for the benefit of the State of Israel.”
Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, Head of IMOD’s DDR&D: “The Israeli ecosystem knows how to provide creative solutions to the complex challenges facing the defense establishment. The field of quantum science has been growing in recent years, worldwide. It will change the way we view reality during peacetime and emergency with regard to numerous aspects, such as navigation, secure communication, superpower calculus, etc. Israel, an established world power in the field of cyber, regards the field of quantum science as a strategic objective where it would become a major player in the world market.”
Prof. Yafa Silbershatz, Chairman of the Council for Higher Education (CHE): “CHE has defined quantum science and technology as the flagship of Israel's research world, along with patient-focused medicine and data science. Without a doubt, the development of quantum science is vital to the economy and security of the State of Israel. It will lead to a significant leap in Israeli research capabilities and to leadership status on the international scene. At the same time, the global race is already underway, various countries invest enormous amounts of money in the development of this field, and unless we run forward as fast as we can, the State of Israel will be left behind.”
Prof. Benny Geiger, Head of the Israel Science fund: “The new program will enable Israeli researchers to enter, with great momentum, a field of study which, on the one hand, has a tremendous potential, both basic and applicative, while on the other hand it is still new and evolving – thereby being among the pioneers and leaders of this activity worldwide.”
IMOD’s DDR&D has been involved in quantum technology for many years, and endeavors to maximize the unique advantages of these technologies by providing solutions to significant operational needs. DDR&D serves as IMOD's representative in consolidating the national program for quantum science and technology.
“Even today, some cutting-edge technological developments by the Israeli defense establishment utilize certain quantum phenomena in significant applicative use,” says Dr. David of DDR&D, who heads the program within IMOD. “Taking advantage of the momentum of the second quantum revolution will lead to an additional leap in our capabilities, and enable the realization of applications regarded as unrealistic to this day. Quantum theory has had many successes over the past one hundred years. It succeeded in explaining the structure of matter – the atom, the molecule, the chemical bonds, solid matter, crystals, and so forth. Quantum theory provided the basis for such developments as the transistor, lasers, light sensors, fast communication, the high-precision clocks that provide the basis for the satellite navigation system, medical imaging methods such as MRI and more. The use of this theory has been tested in numerous trials and provided unprecedented accuracy in the agreement between prediction and test results.”
At the Council for Higher Education they believe that a significant, consistent national-level investment in the development of quantum science and technology, and in the development of research infrastructure for that field in particular, is expected to lead to a significant leap in Israeli research capabilities and in Israel's status at the forefront of global knowledge in this field. Prof. Uri Sivan of the Technion Faculty of Physics heads the steering committee that has consolidated the program for the next five-year period. The committee consists of the best academic minds in this field.
In the new research fund, the field of quantum science and technology will include the following subjects: quantum calculus; quantum communication; simulation using quantum systems; quantum instruments and sensors such as atomic clocks, magnetic field indicators and other indicators/gauges; quantum materials such as topological materials and materials quantum-engineered to present special characteristics; and the fund of quantum theory and the implications thereof on future technologies and innovative quantum science and technology.
A budget of 100 million ILS will finance the new fund over the next five years. The objective of the program is to support outstanding research groups in Israeli universities, engaged in research and development in the field of quantum science and technology
Bigstockphoto
The field of quantum science and technology is a strategic field currently growing rapidly worldwide. Israel's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science & Technology, the Council for Higher Education and the Israel Innovation Authority are currently consolidating a national program for the field of quantum science. The first step in this program is the establishment of a research fund for quantum science and technology, which would constitute the basis for an ecosystem for this field. The new fund is a cooperative alliance of the Directorate for Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) at the Israel Ministry of Defense, the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and the Israel Science fund. A budget of 100 million ILS ($26.5 million) will finance the new fund over the next five years.
The objective of the program is to support outstanding research groups in Israeli universities, engaged in research and development in the field of quantum science and technology. Government support in the form of substantial grants, on the scale of about 75 million ILS, will go to the researchers directly. These grants will finance the costs of the research activity or the upgrading of the equipment required for the research activity. The remaining funds will be diverted to further development of the field, according to the considerations of IMOD’s DDR&D.
Israeli PM and DM Benjamin Netanyahu: “I welcome the establishment of this innovative research fund, which will keep Israel at the top of the global technology and research activity. From a world power in cyber to a world power in quantum science, we will continue to lead toward significant advances for the benefit of the State of Israel.”
Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, Head of IMOD’s DDR&D: “The Israeli ecosystem knows how to provide creative solutions to the complex challenges facing the defense establishment. The field of quantum science has been growing in recent years, worldwide. It will change the way we view reality during peacetime and emergency with regard to numerous aspects, such as navigation, secure communication, superpower calculus, etc. Israel, an established world power in the field of cyber, regards the field of quantum science as a strategic objective where it would become a major player in the world market.”
Prof. Yafa Silbershatz, Chairman of the Council for Higher Education (CHE): “CHE has defined quantum science and technology as the flagship of Israel's research world, along with patient-focused medicine and data science. Without a doubt, the development of quantum science is vital to the economy and security of the State of Israel. It will lead to a significant leap in Israeli research capabilities and to leadership status on the international scene. At the same time, the global race is already underway, various countries invest enormous amounts of money in the development of this field, and unless we run forward as fast as we can, the State of Israel will be left behind.”
Prof. Benny Geiger, Head of the Israel Science fund: “The new program will enable Israeli researchers to enter, with great momentum, a field of study which, on the one hand, has a tremendous potential, both basic and applicative, while on the other hand it is still new and evolving – thereby being among the pioneers and leaders of this activity worldwide.”
IMOD’s DDR&D has been involved in quantum technology for many years, and endeavors to maximize the unique advantages of these technologies by providing solutions to significant operational needs. DDR&D serves as IMOD's representative in consolidating the national program for quantum science and technology.
“Even today, some cutting-edge technological developments by the Israeli defense establishment utilize certain quantum phenomena in significant applicative use,” says Dr. David of DDR&D, who heads the program within IMOD. “Taking advantage of the momentum of the second quantum revolution will lead to an additional leap in our capabilities, and enable the realization of applications regarded as unrealistic to this day. Quantum theory has had many successes over the past one hundred years. It succeeded in explaining the structure of matter – the atom, the molecule, the chemical bonds, solid matter, crystals, and so forth. Quantum theory provided the basis for such developments as the transistor, lasers, light sensors, fast communication, the high-precision clocks that provide the basis for the satellite navigation system, medical imaging methods such as MRI and more. The use of this theory has been tested in numerous trials and provided unprecedented accuracy in the agreement between prediction and test results.”
At the Council for Higher Education they believe that a significant, consistent national-level investment in the development of quantum science and technology, and in the development of research infrastructure for that field in particular, is expected to lead to a significant leap in Israeli research capabilities and in Israel's status at the forefront of global knowledge in this field. Prof. Uri Sivan of the Technion Faculty of Physics heads the steering committee that has consolidated the program for the next five-year period. The committee consists of the best academic minds in this field.
In the new research fund, the field of quantum science and technology will include the following subjects: quantum calculus; quantum communication; simulation using quantum systems; quantum instruments and sensors such as atomic clocks, magnetic field indicators and other indicators/gauges; quantum materials such as topological materials and materials quantum-engineered to present special characteristics; and the fund of quantum theory and the implications thereof on future technologies and innovative quantum science and technology.
