Established in 2022, the National Quantum Office (NQO) is advancing Singapore’s goal of becoming a leading hub for quantum technology development and deployment. So far, it has co-created the country’s Quantum Sensing Centre (QSC), partnered with leading quantum companies Quantinuum and Qolab, and signed a memorandum of understanding with Finland to collaborate on R&D.
In a conversation with Quantum Spectator, Ling Keok Tong, Executive Director of NQO, explained how Singapore is approaching quantum at a national level, how it works with stakeholders, and what it plans to do with a new quantum computer arriving this year.
Can you describe the current quantum landscape in Singapore?
We are not newcomers to the quantum scene. Back in 2007, the government launched the first Research Centre of Excellence initiative, where universities host centres focused on key areas. One of these was quantum, with NUS selected to host the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT).
At the time, this was a bold move. Quantum was still largely in the realm of science, so committing funding to establish a dedicated centre required strong vision. Today, we are beginning to reap the benefits of that early investment. Over time, we have built what we call “scientific bench strength,” with more than 20 research groups across universities and over 200 quantum researchers. This gives us a very strong foundation to build on.
The National Quantum Office was set up in 2022, and my first priority was to develop a national quantum strategy. We introduced a comprehensive plan covering four areas: scientific excellence, innovation and industry translation, talent development, and partnerships. To support this, we secured about SG$300 million in funding.
One key move was to elevate CQT from an NUS-based centre into a national one. Today, principal investigators from NTU, SUTD, and A*STAR are affiliated with CQT, allowing us to operate as a coordinated, national research ecosystem.
The second priority was improving engagement. We identified the need for clear focal points across key quantum domains — computing, communications, sensing, and secure communications. Previously, companies had to engage multiple institutions, which was inefficient. Through NQO, we have organised the ecosystem, provided funding to unify efforts across universities and A*STAR, and appointed leads for each domain. These leads act with a national mandate, representing the entire Singapore ecosystem in deeper engagements.
For example, on the foundry side, our national quantum foundry program is led by a single representative who works across CQT, NUS, and A*STAR. He assesses industry needs and brings in the relevant teams, whether from one institution or multiple. This structure ensures coordinated, national-level delivery.
The third focus is talent. Building on CQT’s strong PhD program, we launched the National Quantum Scholarships under the national strategy. Unlike most PhD funding in Singapore, which is administered by the Ministry of Education, this program is dedicated to quantum. It supports both PhD and Master’s-by-research students, with a target of training 100 PhDs and 100 Master’s graduates over the next five years.
Finally, partnerships are critical. Singapore cannot do everything alone, so we collaborate across multiple levels. For instance, we have research agreements with companies like Qolab to co-develop IP and products. Beyond individual firms, we also pursue ecosystem-level partnerships. A key example is our collaboration with France, where universities and research centres on both sides work together in shared areas of interest. We recently held our second ecosystem meeting in Paris, following the first the year before, to deepen collaboration.
These partnerships are already yielding results. French start-ups such as Quobly are exploring expansion into Singapore after engaging with our ecosystem. Another example is Pasqal, with whom we have ongoing research collaboration.
You’ll be bringing in Quantinuum’s Helios quantum computer this year, which will be made available for academic and commercial use. Could you share more details?
For quantum computing, we established the National Quantum Computing Hub, with the goal of becoming a leader in quantum software and algorithm development — an area that is still highly nascent.
To achieve this, we identified three key needs. First is access to state-of-the-art infrastructure. Researchers cannot rely solely on classical simulation, as quantum systems quickly exceed classical capabilities — beyond around 50 logical qubits, simulation becomes infeasible. This made it essential to bring a leading quantum computer to Singapore.
After evaluating several options, we partnered with Quantinuum, which offers one of the highest-fidelity quantum systems available today. In quantum computing, qubit fidelity is critical, and their systems are widely recognised for their performance. This partnership enables us to deploy their technology locally.
The second requirement is talent capable of developing algorithms for these systems. We have allocated funding to support research in areas such as quantum error correction and fault-tolerant quantum computing, where viable algorithms remain limited.
The third is engaging early adopters. We are focusing on four sectors: chemicals (for materials discovery), biopharma (for drug discovery), finance (for portfolio optimisation), and maritime/port operations (for complex optimisation problems). We are forming working groups with industry partners to define real-world challenges, co-develop solutions with researchers, and test them on advanced quantum infrastructure.
Could you describe NQO’s structure? Is it under NRF?
When quantum was initially discussed within the National Research Foundation (NRF), it became clear that Singapore needed a more coordinated approach. Given the country’s size and limited talent pool, a coherent national strategy was essential. This led to the formation of NQO in 2022 and the development of the first RIE (Research, Innovation and Enterprise) strategy for quantum, funded as part of Singapore’s broader five-year plan.
NQO was ultimately placed under A*STAR rather than NRF or the universities. This is because A*STAR has strong links to industry and end users through its applied research work. At the same time, NQO operates with a national mandate, ensuring programs draw on the best capabilities across the ecosystem, including universities like NUS.
While we are hosted within A*STAR and supported by its corporate infrastructure, we maintain operational independence and a national focus.
How do you work with the Economic Development Board (EDB)?
Within Singapore’s RIE planning framework, priorities are organised into four domains: manufacturing, health, urban sustainability, and the smart nation and digital economy. Quantum falls under the smart nation and digital economy domain.
We contribute by proposing strategies and initiatives within this framework. For the 2025 cycle, we secured SG$300 million to support our first national quantum strategy. For the next tranche, we have outlined our plans, though detailed allocations are not publicly disclosed to maintain flexibility.
Among the four areas you mentioned for quantum development, which do you find most interesting?
We are already seeing strong interest in biopharma, particularly in drug discovery, where companies are exploring hybrid approaches that combine quantum computing with classical high-performance computing.
There are also promising use cases in chemicals and materials, although these are still in earlier stages. Among these, drug discovery appears to be the most immediately active area.
Editor’s note: This interview was first published in Quantum Spectator.
