National Quantum Office's Primary Scientific Mission and Five- and 10-year Milestones

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the primary scientific mission of the National Quantum Office (NQO); and (b) what specific measurable quantum technology milestones has NQO set for the next five and ten years.

The National Quantum Office (NQO) was established to develop the quantum research and development (R&D) ecosystem in Singapore. NQO has identified four thrusts under the National Quantum Strategy to achieve this goal.

First, it will promote scientific excellence in high-impact areas of quantum research by bringing together top research talent across our universities and research institutes at the Centre for Quantum Technologies.

Second, it will seek to strengthen Singapore's engineering capabilities to translate quantum research into solutions in promising areas, such as remote sensing and biomedical imaging. It will also build capabilities in the design and building of quantum processors through the National Quantum Processor Initiative.

Third, NQO aims to attract, develop and retain talent to build a quantum-ready workforce. For instance, the National Quantum Scholarship Scheme will develop a pipeline of 100 Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) and 100 Masters-level graduates over the next five years.

Fourth, it will work on building a vibrant quantum industry. NQO will leverage national quantum-related programmes, such as the National Quantum Computing Hub, to catalyse collaborations with industry.

While the success of research in such cutting-edge areas is inherently uncertain, these four thrusts represent an integrated approach in building Singapore's quantum ecosystem.