Organisation &

operations

The QuTech mission is carried out by a professional staff comprised of more than 300 researchers, engineers, project leaders, business developers and professionals in administration. We come from around the world, have studied a wide variety of topics, and are employed by either TNO or TU Delft. We are united by our work towards the mission. Together we are developing scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a secure quantum internet. Together we are creating the quantum future!

QuTech Partner Covenant 2015-2025: bold ideas received national support

At the start of QuTech, its founding fathers at the TU Delft’s Faculty of Applied Sciences were convinced that a physics team would not by itself be able to stay at the forefront of the quantum field. Therefore, they sought to work across disciplines and bring in much needed expertise from the Electronics Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science faculty, as well as a complementary engineering mindset, which was brought in by TNO. The Delft initiative was supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Dutch Research Council (NWO), and the Top Sector Holland High Tech and Materials. This national support – laid down in the QuTech Partner Covenant 2015-2025 – steered the research in Delft in new directions and positioned QuTech where it is today, with a strong international brand and reputation, embedded in a growing quantum ecosystem. Many research institutes have been inspired by QuTech and followed our example.

Midterm review QuTech 2019-2022

In April 2022, an international review committee, chaired by Prof. Dave Blank, concluded that QuTech is very well equipped to realize its mission, and is recognized as a world-class research institute for quantum technology. According to the committee, the quality of the research and engineering activities of the institute is excellent beyond doubt, as demonstrated in high-quality output and world-leading work on several fields within quantum computing and the quantum internet. The boards of TU Delft and TNO embraced the committee’s findings and incorporated their responses to the committee’s report into a position document.

Summary of the review committee’s assessment of QuTech’s activities (2019-2022):

Excellent in general, recognized as a leading research institute
Recommendations last review have been implemented
Clear ambitions and goals
Outstanding scientists and engineers throughout all the ranks of the institute
Restructuring in divisions helped to better connect engineering and research
QuTech management has succeeded in running a successful organisation

Summary of the review committee’s recommendations:

Prioritize setting up a viable quantum ecosystem within Europe
Strengthen the governance structure
Organisational structure will have to be adapted in 5-10 years
Execute plans for new building
Keep investing in spin-offs
Keep working on acquiring long-term funding
Keep working on interaction between the divisions

Looking at QuTech’s future: Foresight study 2025-2035

In March 2022, we presented our QuTech Strategic Profile 2025-2035. Since the start of QuTech, the quantum field reached a new phase. Large corporations make enormous investments in quantum technology (quantum computing in particular) and many start-up companies have become active in the field. We are witnessing the emergence of a flourishing quantum technology ecosystem in Delft, and major investments in the national ecosystem Quantum Delta NL. These developments, and the ending of the QuTech Partner Covenant in 2025, inspired us to rethink our role, our unique added value, and how we can have the strongest impact in the years beyond 2025.

The main elements from our vision document:

Our motto for 2025-2035 is ‘Creating the quantum future: from world-class research to world-changing innovation.’
It is our mission to perform world-class research leading to scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a quantum internet, enabling and in close connection with a thriving quantum technology ecosystem.

This mission builds upon two pillars: excellence and relevance, which we combine with leadership to create impact:

Excellence relates to QuTech being an academic powerhouse with the ability to combine world-class scientific research with top-notch engineering. This should be safeguarded and must remain a core strength for QuTech to continue to be seen as a leading institute and the place to be in Europe. Leadership means we act autonomously and take our own position.
Relevance relates to QuTech contributing to the impact of its technology by becoming an innovation powerhouse, that stimulates the local and EU ecosystem in particular.
Leadership related to stimulating an entrepreneurial culture within and around QuTech, initiating and seeking a close engagement with the (start-up) companies around us, and engaging in strategic partnerships with leading industry players.

In the coming ten years, we will develop QuTech further, with the continuous support of our parent organisations TU Delft and TNO. QuTech’s role in the local and Dutch ecosystem will remain significant, and we will contribute strongly to the success of Quantum Delta NL, while developing a strong focus on the EU. QuTech will grow towards 400, with new staff filling in the blanks of missing engineering and researchers’ expertise.

Housing and building renovation

In 2027, QuTech will move to a new building on the southern part of TU Delft campus in the development area called the Kluyver area . This area will be developed into a lively environment with new facilities for education and research, including the Quantum Delta Delft ecosystem.

In October 2022, we had the kick-off for the design process together with the design team, consisting of architect Cepezed, constructor Pieters Bouwtechniek, consultants Buro Happold and Peutz, project manager abcnova, our QuTech Housing team, and the university’s Campus Real Estate program developers.

“A lot of hard work has been done to come to this kick-off. It was an intensive process in which we, as future users, and the experts from TU Delft campus real estate worked together pleasantly. From now on, the QuTech building can take concrete shape. Our expectations are high.”

– Charlotte van Hees, Director Operations QuTech

Want to know more about the plans for the new QuTech building? Click here

People and recruitment

In 2022, after two years of lockdown, the halls, and labs of QuTech were alive again with people and voices. Audrey Monje, our new recruiter, has helped us in welcoming 47 new staff members. See the figures below for more statistics on our students and staff from around the world.

Staff participation

Throughout the year, the personnel committee, consisting of eight staff members employed by TU Delft and TNO, has represented the QuTech personnel on important issues such as housing, diversity and inclusion, staff wellbeing, and the QuTech budget. They provided critical insights to the Foresight study, our thinking about QuTech’s future after the current Partner Covenant ends in 2025.

“We are particularly proud of the third QuTech-wide Diversity & Inclusion event we organized.”

Csilla Buiting-Csikos, Chairperson for the OdC (personnel committee)

Csilla Buiting-Csikos

“We are particularly proud of the third QuTech-wide Diversity & Inclusion event we organized.”

We regularly meet with the Board of Directors to discuss the future strategy of our institute, the new housing on the South Campus, and the QuTech budget. Furthermore, we take initiative and are actively involved in the QuTech efforts around the training on social safety for our employees and the safety in our labs. We welcomed three new members in 2022, after committee members found new positions within or outside QuTech.

We are particularly proud of the third QuTech-wide Diversity & Inclusion event we organized in 2022, the ‘Inclusion Table & Drinks’, where we discussed tailor-made statements about inclusion and diversity in the broadest sense. The conversation was flowing, and it was easy to swap to another table to get involved in other conversations with new people. The event led to many interesting discussions and gave everyone food for thought. Our efforts regarding diversity and inclusion were recognized by the Delft Women In Science initiative too.

QuTech accredited workplace company for vocational students

In 2022, we have welcomed two students of the Techniek College Rotterdam to our fine precision workshop. In the coming years they will learn on the job how to design and manufacture mechanical parts of our cryostats and optical set ups. They work and learn in QuTech’s workshop for four days a week and go to school one day per week. In the Electronic Instrumentation team, we have received two apprentices from ROC Mondriaan for five months each and guided one bachelor end project for a student from the Haagse Hogeschool. This is another way in which QuTech contributes to teaching the future quantum workforce.

“I’m very passionate about training fine mechanical metal workers and passing on this beautiful craft to future generations. It’s very rewarding to see my apprentices grow and develop their skills.”

– Nico Alberts, fine precision mechanic

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are important themes for QuTech. We strive to offer a working environment where students and staff from different backgrounds and cultures feel at home and supported. The QuTech Diversity and Inclusion Policy focuses on two main priorities: Firstly, we strive towards more gender diversity, specifically a percentage of at least 20% female PhD students and postdocs working at QuTech in 2024. The second priority is promoting an inclusive working environment, meaning that people at QuTech always feel safe, a support network is available, and social safety is actively discussed. QuTech has appointed Grazia Bastasin as Diversity and Inclusion Officer, who provides QuTech management with solicited and unsolicited advice.

Social Safety Program

To further stimulate a safe working climate within QuTech and hence enhance the well-being of all staff members, QuTech has launched a large social safety program in QuTech. We hired an external agency to provide trainings and workshops for all students, staff, and management. The program was kicked off by a collective meeting with actors who raised our collective awareness of what can be perceived as unsafe behaviour. Smaller workshops and trainings followed to support our students and staff to raise awareness of unconscious biases, to help us recognise unsafe behaviour, and give tools on how to react in our own style.

Open Science

The QuTech Research Data Management Policy (v1) was approved by the Board of Directors of QuTech with support of the QuTech Assembly and went into effect on 1 April 2022. This policy is part of the central TU Delft Research Data Framework Policy (which outlines the roles of the Library, ICT Department, University Services, and Executive Board of TU Delft), and is aligned with the data policy of TNO. It helps create effective practices for working with research data at QuTech and defines data management roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders within QuTech.

Open Access Publications

99%

95%

91%

92%

87%

81%

Percentage of open access papers by QuTech. Percentages are calculated according to the Definition Framework Monitoring Open Access by UNL.

By the numbers

In December 2022, the QuTech team comprised 330 individuals, adding up to a total of 269 FTE (remunerated and non-remunerated). This compares with 259 FTE in 2020. The FTE pie-charts below illustrate the composition of the QuTech community.