PRATEEK TRIPATHI
NEW DELHI:With quantum technology (QT) gaining traction in an increasingly tech-driven world, India and Taiwan have a crucial new avenue to enhance diplomatic collaborations.
Despite being in its early stages, QT is poised to become a foundational technology in the future, much like semiconductors are today. Having firmly demonstrated its ability to master semiconductor technology, Taiwan is wellpositioned to reiterate its status as a global leader in innovation by establishing a firm foothold in QT. This presents India with a novel avenue to collaborate with Taiwan in this domain, allowing it to effectively bypass the hurdles posed by export controls put in place by leaders in the field, namely the United States (US) and China.
Taiwan’s progress in QT Prioritising QT as a strategic focus, the Taiwan National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) established the Taiwan Quantum Program Office (TQPO) in 2021. NSTC, in collaboration with Academia Sinica and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, also created the National Quantum Team in 2022 with an investment of US$ 259 million over five years. The Team includes 72 subject matter experts and 24 companies, with representatives ranging from the private sector, the Taiwan authorities, academia, and research institutions. Its research focuses on universal quantum computer hardware technology, quantum optical technology, quantum software technology, and application development. Taiwan is also pursuing quantum computing software and simulation through a strategic partnership between the Hon Hai Research Institute and Japan’s QunaSys.
Taiwan has already demonstrated prowess in quantum computing. In January 2024, Academia Sinica launched Taiwan’s first indigenously built quantum computer consisting of five superconducting qubits. In October 2024, a research team led by the Department of Physics at the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) developed the world’s smallest quantum computer using a single photon.
In November 2024, the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI), a government-funded institute under the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs), acquired a 5-qubit superconducting quantum computer, the IQM Spark, from IQM Quantum Computers (IQM), a Finnish quantum computing company.
Within the field of quantum communication, NTHU has successfully demonstrated Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) using a self-made single-photon source in 2019. The team worked on it further, which subsequently led to the creation of Taiwan’s first quantum secure communication network in 2023.
Taiwan has also recognised the importance of migrating to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), particularly in light of the increasing Chinese cybersecurity threat. Academia Sinica has been actively involved in PQC research. Chelpis Quantum Corp, a PQC research firm based in Taipei, has been recognised by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which selected three of its algorithms in October 2024 to further its PQC standardisation process.
Academia Sinica and Chelpis have also been collaborating with the Netherlands via the Eindhoven University of Technology towards developing PQC since 2006. This has led to the establishment of the Chelpis Quantum Safe Migration Center in 2023, aimed at promoting international collaboration to accelerate research and to push PQC migration.
India-Taiwan Collaboration QT collaboration between India and Taiwan possesses enormous potential, with both parties standing to gain significant benefits. India has been pursuing QT through its ambitious Rs 6,000 crore (US$ 730 million) National Quantum Mission (NQM), which identifies quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensors, and quantum materials and devices as its four main pillars. Accordingly, the Government of India has established four Thematic Hubs (T – Hubs) at premier institutions across the country, which recently became operational.
The recent global push for establishing semiconductor supply chain independent of China has brought out the necessity for doing so in the case of other critical and emerging technologies as well. The myriad of export controls implemented by the field’s leading countries, including the US, China, and most European Union (EU) nations, constitute India’s biggest obstacles to international collaboration in QT.
Consequently, QT collaboration with Taiwan may offer a way out of this dilemma, provided both nations reach an understanding. Given that QT supply chains are not well established yet, cooperation between like-minded nations will ensure that the situation is not repeated.
The US has already started pursuing this in Taiwan through the San Diegobased company, Quantum Design International, which has established Quantum Design Taiwan in Taipei, manufacturing dilution refrigerators, a critical component for quantum computing and quantum communication. Cooperation between India and Taiwan in establishing QT supply chain can, therefore, be extremely beneficial in the future
