Joint Summer School 2025

Objective: Connecting Early-Career Researchers and Industry Talent

The goal of the Joint Summer School was to bring together early-career researchers, PhD students, and young professionals from industry to explore and apply current developments in quantum computing in a hands-on setting.

Focus on Practical Applications

At the heart of the Summer School was the hands-on development and implementation of quantum algorithms across different architectures. Participants worked with both gate-based quantum computers and quantum annealers, gaining a direct comparison between digital and analog approaches to quantum computing.

Through the cloud-based JUNIQ platform, attendees had exclusive access to real quantum hardware hosted at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. During the hands-on sessions, participants designed, implemented, and tested quantum algorithms, discussing the results and tackling challenges specific to today’s NISQ systems.

Expert Lectures and In-Depth Exchange

The practical program was complemented by high-level lectures from leading experts in academia and industry. Topics included current hardware developments, hybrid workflows, use cases in optimization and simulation, and future perspectives on scalable quantum computing.

A particular highlight was the close interaction between participants and speakers. Discussions, Q&A sessions, and informal exchanges sparked valuable insights and fostered new connections across disciplines and institutions.

Conclusion

The Joint Summer School 2025 clearly demonstrated the importance of practical formats for training the next generation of quantum computing experts. By combining hands-on access to quantum hardware, theoretical context, and interdisciplinary exchange, the event offered a comprehensive perspective on the current state and potential of both digital and analog quantum architectures.

With this Summer School, the Jülich Supercomputing Centre and eleQtron once again confirmed their roles as key players in the European quantum computing ecosystem—creating a platform that successfully blends knowledge transfer, collaboration, and practical experience.