FPT, France's Quandela sign MoU to advance quantum technology cooperation

FPT, France's Quandela sign MoU to advance quantum technology cooperation

The agreement was signed on the evening of October 19 at the French Embassy in Việt Nam as part of efforts to translate the strategic cooperation commitments between Việt Nam and France into concrete initiatives in advanced science and technology.

Delegates at the signing ceremony on October 19 evening in Hà Nội. — Photo quandela.com

Vietnamese technology group FPT and French quantum computing company Quandela have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in quantum technology research, computing access and workforce development, marking a step forward in scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed on October 19 at the French Embassy in Việt Nam as part of efforts to translate the strategic cooperation commitments between Việt Nam and France into concrete initiatives in advanced science and technology.

Éléonore Caroit, France's minister delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad, welcomed the first French business delegation specialising in quantum technology to visit Việt Nam.

The event was organised by Business France, the French national agency responsible for internationalising the French economy, supporting French companies' exports and attracting foreign investment to France. It also provided an opportunity to connect businesses and partners from the two countries.

Caroit said the agreement between FPT and Quandela was a concrete step in implementing high-level commitments reaffirmed by Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and French President Emmanuel Macron during their recent high-level meeting in Paris.

She said the MoU opened up opportunities for broader cooperation in applied research, access to quantum computing resources and, in particular, the training of highly skilled personnel, reflecting the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership between France and Việt Nam.

Nguyễn Xuân Phong, FPT's chief technology officer and chief AI transformation officer, said the two countries shared scientific potential and strong ambitions for development.

Combining Quandela's expertise in photonic quantum computing with FPT's engineering capabilities and global research network would help advance research, workforce training and the development of practical applications, he said.

Phong described the agreement as more than a partnership between two companies, saying it also served as a bridge connecting science with industry and ideas with the shared future of the two countries.

Marine Xech-Gaspa, Quandela's director of Institutional Affairs and Public Policy, said the cooperation was significant because it represented the first concrete realisation of the ambitions shared by the two countries in this field.

She expressed hope that the initial step would pave the way for specific joint projects in research, access to cloud-based quantum computing and the development of applications for industry and cybersecurity.

Under the MoU, Quandela will provide FPT with access to its cloud-based quantum computing platform to support testing and development activities in Vietnam.

The two companies also agreed to coordinate applied research in quantum computing, quantum communications, information security and quantum algorithms, as well as explore potential industrial use cases.

The cooperation framework is non-commercial and will run for two years. It is intended to lay the groundwork for training activities, knowledge transfer, expert exchanges and collaboration with universities and research institutes.

The agreement brings together Quandela's quantum computing capabilities and FPT's technical expertise and research network, with cooperation expected to focus on research, access to computing resources and the development of applications. 

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