Quantum technologies have the potential to address some of the most pressing societal issues, despite still being in the early stages of development. They represent a promising set of tools for addressing the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, ambitiously scheduled to be met by 2030. This quantum economy is expected to transform a myriad of industries by enabling breakthroughs in financial modeling, materials design and drug discovery, underground water resources discovery, among many others. As quantum technologies advance, they promise to redefine economic growth, competition, and innovation on a global scale.
The application of quantum technology, encompassing quantum sensing, computing, and communication, presents a promising avenue for enhancing sustainability efforts. The advent of quantum technologies will facilitate unprecedented optimization of complex systems like energy grids, reducing waste, and improving resource management. Its advanced computational power will enable more efficient design of materials and processes, leading to lower energy consumption and emissions. In the meantime, quantum-inspired algorithms can already be run on classical computers, offering significant advantages. Finally, quantum sensing has reached a higher level of maturity and is already proving invaluable for high-precision detection.
In this context, innovation and emerging technologies are crucial to drive an equitable and sustainable quantum economy forward. Start-ups drive rapid advancements by bringing light to challenging problems, exploring novel applications, developing specialized hardware and software, and bringing fresh perspectives to complex problems.
Leveraging UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s Quantum Economy Network and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Saudi Arabia, this challenge aims to surface, connect and accelerate start-ups in quantum that foster sustainable impact aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The focus of the challenge is to drive the development and adoption of quantum technologies that contribute to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s and global efforts towards sustainability. Together with the ecosystem partners involved, this challenge will support early-stage innovation by enabling capital infusion, engaging a mission-aligned ecosystem, fostering product-market fit, and shifting perceptions about the quantum’s role for global sustainability efforts.
The focus areas of this challenge include quantum technologies for:
- Climate solutions
- Materials and manufacturing
- Equitable healthcare
- Agriculture and food systems
- Freshwater systems
See the FOCUS AREAS tab for a detailed description of each of these focus areas.
Awards:-
Up to 10 submissions will be selected as winners, recognized as Top Innovators, and become part of the UpLink Innovation Ecosystem, a curated programme designed for Founders and CEOs, which provides:
- Access: Opportunity to participate in selected World Economic Forum and partner-led events, projects, and communities. Access to the Saudi Market and ecosystem.
- Visibility: Invitation to participate in the World Economic Forum’s Quantum Application Hub and global exposure via the Forum’s and UpLink’s digital media channels.
- Networking opportunities: Strategic introductions to selected organizations in the Forum’s and UpLink’s partner network.
- Targeted support: Including programming and support on technical, business, and operational matters.
Deadline:- 13-12-2024
