3 July 2026
QuNorth’s flagship competition enters new stage
QuNorth’s competition for first access to Magne has moved into its next phase following strong interest from researchers, startups and industry teams across the Nordic quantum ecosystem.
QuNorth’s flagship competition was launched to identify ambitious projects that can make early and impactful use of Magne, one of the world’s most powerful quantum computers. The call attracted a broad range of qualified proposals.
The strength and breadth of the applications we have received show how much momentum there is across the Nordic quantum ecosystem. We are seeing teams with the ambition, technical depth and collaborative mindset needed to fully exploit the capabilities of Magne and thereby generate impactful results and insights.
The competition has now entered an internal review stage, where applications will be assessed and shortlisted. Selected flagship teams will be among the first to gain access to Magne and will receive support to scope, prepare and run projects on real quantum hardware.
Review and selection process
Proposals will be evaluated by QuNorth’s selection committee, with input from collaborators at Microsoft and Atom Computing. The review will focus on scientific and technical innovation, feasibility, potential impact, team strength, and the ability of each project to deliver clear outcomes through publications, prototypes, workshops, conference activity or other forms of dissemination.
Projects will also be considered for their relevance to quantum computing research and, where applicable, their potential to contribute to commercially relevant applications. The aim is to select teams that are not only advancing ideas, but are ready to demonstrate progress through implementation, benchmarking, and shared outcomes.
Accelerating Nordic quantum innovation
The flagship programme is designed to accelerate quantum computing-based research and development across the Nordic region. It brings together leading researchers, emerging companies, and industry teams with the ambition to explore what can be achieved through early access to advanced quantum infrastructure.
By working directly with Magne, selected teams will be able to experiment and explore: running experiments, testing algorithms, and pushing the envelope on what can achieved with quantum hardware with the objective of producing results that can help advance both the quantum computing stack and its practical applications.
Next steps
QuNorth will now complete the internal review and shortlisting process. The results of the flagship competition are expected to be announced in early 2027.