HELSINKI, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Finland's first quantum computer Lumi has been opened for use by Finnish and European companies for developing quantum algorithms and software, the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) said on Monday.
Lumi is a 5-qubit quantum computer, which was put into operation in November 2021. It is accessed through the LUMI supercomputer, which is located in a data center in central Finland.
From now on, Finnish and European companies can access the quantum computer by paying a fixed monthly fee, VTT said in a press release.
The quantum computer can be used by all companies regardless of the industry they represent or their size. Quantum computing may be suitable for solving a variety of problems related to optimization in a wide range of industrial sectors.
The financial sector and the pharmaceutical industry are expected to be among the first to benefit from the computing power of quantum computers.
Pekka Pursula, research manager for quantum technologies at VTT, said in the press release that the computing power of quantum computers, as well as their ability to solve problems, will develop fast in the coming years.
"Companies must, therefore, begin to learn about quantum computing now so that they will gain an understanding of how they can use the new technology to develop their products and services," Pursula said.
According to VTT, in practice, companies can use the computer to develop quantum algorithms and assess what the algorithms will make possible in the future when the number of qubits and the computing power of quantum computers increase.
The quantum computer can be used from one's own computer. The user will first contact the LUMI supercomputer, which will then establish a connection to the quantum computer.
Kimmo Koski, managing director of the CSC - IT Centre for Science, said in the press release that quantum and high-performance computing are complementary technologies that are suitable for solving different types of problems.
Koski added that LUMI will once again demonstrate its capabilities as a booster for scientific and commercial calculations, creating new hybrid usage possibilities. ■