SINGAPORE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat announced two national quantum programs under the Quantum Engineering Program (QEP) 2.0 on Tuesday at a summit.
The two programs are the National Quantum Computing Hub (NQCH) and the National Quantum Fabless Foundry (NQFF).
The NQCH will strengthen talent development and enable researchers to explore how quantum computing can support industries such as the finance and chemical sectors. The NQFF will support micro and nanofabrication of quantum devices.
Heng said at the Asia Tech X Singapore Summit 2022 that Singapore's investment in quantum computing and quantum engineering is part of its approach of trying to anticipate the future, and proactively shaping the future that the city-state wants.
He said that the greater the potential of cyberspace, the greater the cyber risks. Malicious actors will seek to profit from these through any means.
The deputy prime minister said that strong encryption is key to the security of digital networks, and quantum computing may enable malicious actors to have the computing power to use brute force to break the current encryption.
"To counter them, we not only need to remain vigilant to present threats, we must also stay invested to stay much further ahead," Heng said. "In this way, we can put a greater distance between critical parts of the digital space and threat actors."
According to a press release from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore will further advance its efforts in quantum technology with an additional 23.5 million Singapore dollars boost.
Organized by IMDA, the Asia Tech X Singapore Summit 2022 kicked off on Tuesday. It is part of the Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG), which is Asia's flagship technology event that will last for four days. ■
