By RYO SASAKI/ Staff Writer
November 27, 2024 at 07:00 JST
Brainiacs from all fields can match wits in a contest to apply quantum computing to major societal issues in March, according to a national research and development agency.
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced the competition on Oct. 30.
NEDO hopes to recruit untapped geniuses and experts from different fields to the competition with prize money of about 200 million yen ($1.3 million) for winning ideas.
The contest will present concrete issues facing Japanese society, such as natural disasters or the aging population, to the participants.
Then, the participants will compete individually or in groups to think up new ways to solve these social issues using quantum computing.
The three societal issues will be selected through an open call for suggestions from the public, and the participant or group with the highest scoring solution for each issue will receive a prize of 20 million yen or more.
Talent shortages have been a problem in the field of quantum computing, so the contest is also open to individuals without previous experience in the field, such as corporate researchers and International Mathematical Olympiad winners.
Participants from other fields can take free courses to acquire specialized knowledge of quantum computing in advance.
“We hope that innovative approaches will come from experts in other fields and undiscovered talents who think outside the box,” said a NEDO official.
NEDO announced an open call for suggestions on the specific issues that participants will tackle.
The open call and recruitment period for participants without expertise in quantum computing will be held until noon on Dec. 13.
Applications to compete can be made by individuals or groups.
The contest is scheduled to start in March 2025 and the final judging committee will be held in August 2026.
For more information, visit NEDO’s website at https://qc-challenge.nedo.go.jp/
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