What we do
The Centre for Quantum Technologies
Our partner institutions are universities – the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU), and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) – and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
- Discovery
- Technology
- Education
CQT research areas
National-level quantum programmes
CQT by numbers
Get a sense of CQT through these charts on the composition of our team and our output in scientific publications.
CQT’s history
Quantum research in Singapore was initiated in 1998 by Kwek Leong Chuan, Lai Choy Heng, Oh Choo Hiap and Kuldip Singh as a series of informal seminars at the National University of Singapore. The seminars attracted local researchers and resulted in the formation of the Quantum Information Technology Group, informally referred to in Singlish as quantum lah (read more about the expression ‘lah’ on Wikipedia).
In 2007, the Quantum Information Technology Group was selected as the core of Singapore’s first Research Centre of Excellence (RCE). The Research Centres of Excellence programme was established by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and Ministry of Education to spur research excellence in Singapore’s universities, enabling world-class investigator-led research aligned with the country’s long-term strategic interests. CQT was founded as the first centre under this programme in December 2007, led by founding Director Artur Ekert.
CQT was hosted as an RCE at the National University of Singapore. The Centre graduated from the RCE scheme in December 2022 since such centres are limited to 15-year terms. CQT then charted a new phase of growth towards being a national centre with expanded roles and membership.
Singapore’s National Quantum Strategy was announced in May 2024 with funding of close to $300 million over five years from Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 (RIE 2025) plan. Under the NQS, CQT is elevated from January 2025 to a flagship national research centre to coordinate reseach talent across the country.
The Centre now has research groups at three universities – the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, the National University of Singapore, and Singapore University of Technology and Design – and at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research. The Director reports to an independent Governing Board and takes guidance from a Scientific Advisory Board. The Centre’s current Director is José Ignacio Latorre.
Quantum researchers are also found outside CQT in Singapore’s institutes of higher learning and research institutes. QuantumSG is a community-led initiative to bring together all groups in Singapore working on quantum information technologies. The Quantum Young Researchers Association is a community for students and early-career researchers.