The Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology (WACQT) opened in early 2018 as a national research program coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology. Funded primarily by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation with co-funding from participating universities and industry, WACQT was structured as a ten-year initiative with an initial budget approaching SEK 1 billion (approximately USD 120 million).
Chalmers took responsibility for quantum computing and simulation, KTH Royal Institute of Technology for quantum communication, and Lund University for quantum sensing. The program’s primary objective was to develop a 100-qubit superconducting quantum computer. WACQT also established a dedicated graduate school and a program to recruit young researchers from abroad, enrolling PhD students across the four pillars of quantum technology.
A 1,000-square-meter clean room at Chalmers provided the fabrication facility for the project’s superconducting qubits. Several WACQT researchers also participated in the EU Quantum Flagship’s OpenSuperQ project, which launched later in 2018.