University College Cork opens Ireland's first dedicated quantum sensing lab

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Ireland's quantum sector has gained another piece of infrastructure. Quantum Zeitgeist reports that University College Cork has opened Ireland's first dedicated quantum sensing laboratory, backed by €1.56 million of investment

The lab is led by Professor Alix McCollam, who joined UCC as a senior professor in 2023 after a Marie Curie fellowship and a faculty post at Radboud University in the Netherlands. It is intended as a central hub for quantum sensing research, supporting work in quantum physics and chemistry across the university

The opening fits into Ireland's Quantum 2030 national strategy. The article also points to wider momentum in the country, including Equal1's $60 million funding round in January and its unveiling of Ireland's first domestically produced quantum processor, Horizon Quantum's listing on Nasdaq, and the founding of Rinn Quantum earlier this year

Quantum sensing uses the extreme sensitivity of quantum systems to measure magnetic fields, gravity, time and other quantities with great precision. It is widely seen as one of the quantum technologies closest to practical use, with applications in medicine, navigation and materials research

For a country of Ireland's size, building specialist facilities like this matters, because talent tends to go where the equipment is. Sensing is also a sensible area to focus on, as it can deliver results sooner than full scale quantum computing. Cork already has a strong electronics and photonics base to build on

Is quantum sensing the smartest bet for smaller countries? And can Ireland build a real quantum cluster?

University College Cork's Alix McCollam Leads Ireland's First Quantum Sensing Labquantumzeitgeist.com