Quantum Effects Award

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The Quantum Effects Award 2025 is one of the highlights of Quantum Effects in Stuttgart. Learn more about the four categories, the judgement criteria, the jury and the conditions of participation.

For this purpose, we are particularly looking for innovations that connect the classical with the quantum world, which can be used in different industries, enable new services and open up new perspectives. This also applies to technologies which help to significantly advance quantum technologies and solutions.

Prizes will be awarded for partial solutions from the quantum-mechanical field of sensor technology, communication, computing and security which are characterised by a TRLevel 5 or higher and have a high degree of innovation and future potential or are already being used in initial solutions.

Call for tenders

Here you can download the call for entries for the Quantum Effects Award.

Call for Tenders | Quantum Effects Award (PDF, 7 MB)

The Quantum Effects Award 2025 will be presented in 4 categories:

Quantum computing hardware

Award winner 2024: Quantinuum

Quantum computing software & algorithms

Award winner 2024: Qruise

Quantum sensors

Award winner 2024: SBQuantum

Quantum communication & networks

Award winner 2024: attocube systems AG

Assessment criteria

Application prospects and potential

Weighting: 25 %

Applicability and potential impacts

Improvement potential compared with current technologies

Extent of new functionalities

Solution to well-known problems through innovative approaches

Social/technological benefits

Degree of innovation/invention level

Weighting: 30 %

Improvement compared with conventional technologies

Differentiation compared with the current state of the art

Solution approach and feasibility

Weighting: 30%

Originality of the application

Selected approach

Can be implemented in a realistic period of time (< 5 years)

Probability of success/participating partners/teams/networks

Hybrid solutions/software solutions for earlier use

Cooperation / teaming

Weighting: 15%

Cooperation between research and industry (manufacturers, suppliers, users)

Close cooperation and a high level of networking will have a positive effect on the judging.  

The Members of the Jury 2025

In 2025, the jury for the Quantum Effects Award will be made up of experts in the field of quantum technologies and other partners.

Henrik Hahn | Evonik Industries AG

Henrik Hahn has many years of management experience in the chemical industry and has been driving the digital transformation of the Essen-based specialty chemicals company Evonik since 2016. He started his professional career in the group in 1999 and has also worked for the company in the US and Belgium. One of his most exciting professional phases has been setting up a corporate start-up in the field of battery technology. He is also committed to the topic of digitalization in the VCI, the Association of the German Chemical Industry and the BDI, the Federation of German Industries. Henrik has a doctorate in engineering and an economics degree with a focus on information economics.

Prof Dr Manfred Bayer | Rektor Technische Universität Dortmund

Manfred Bayer was appointed to the professorship of ‘Experimental Physics with a Focus on Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter’ at TU Dortmund University in 2002 and has been Rector of TU Dortmund University since 2020. He is a member of the board of the Digital University NRW (DH.NRW), where he has been chairman since 2024. He is the scientific spokesperson of ‘EIN Quantum NRW’, a network of companies, universities and non-university research institutions to further expand the research and development of quantum technologies. He is also a member of the Scientific Board of the Future Energy Materials and Systems Research Centre of the Research Alliance Ruhr. Bayer has received several international awards for its excellent research.

Dr Daniel Stadler | EIN Quantum NRW

Dr Daniel Stadler is Head of Technology & Innovation at the Düsseldorf-based consultancy NMWP Management GmbH. As head of the EIN Quantum NRW office, he manages and develops the quantum technology ecosystem of business and science on behalf of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. Daniel completed his doctorate in materials chemistry at the University of Cologne as part of a scholarship for gifted students and is the recipient of the Department of Chemistry's research award. He is spokesman for quantum technologies in OptecNet Deutschland e.V. and chairman of the Quantum Effects Award jury.

Prof Dr Joachim Ankerhold | Ulm University

Prof Dr Joachim Ankerhold is a passionate theoretical physicist. His main interests are in the field of complex quantum systems such as open quantum systems and light-matter interaction in superconducting circuits. He has initiated and led a number of extensive collaborative projects in the field of quantum physics, such as the Carl Zeiss Foundation Centre for Quantum Photonics (QPhoton) and the Network on Quantum Technologies in BW. As academic spokesperson, he represents the long-term state-wide innovation alliance QuantumBW.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions of participation

Do you want to enter the competition for the Quantum Effects Award with your company? If so, send us a pitch deck (5 PowerPoint slides excluding the title slide, format 16:9, PDF file format) with your entry using the form on the website www.messe-stuttgart.de/quantum-effects/en/programme/accompanying-programme/quantum-effects-award/quantum-effects-award-application. In order to uniformly judge the entries, the following criteria must be answered in the available 5 slides of your pitch deck:

Application prospects and potential (25%):

  • Applicability and potential impacts
  • Improvement potential compared with current technologies
  • Extent of new functionalities
  • Solution to well-known problems through innovative approaches
  • Social/technological benefits

Degree of innovation & invention (30%):

  • Improvement compared with conventional technologies
  • Differentiation compared with the current state of the art

Solution approach and feasibility (30%):

  • Originality of the application
  • Selected approach
  • Can be implemented in a realistic period of time (<5 years)
  • Probability of success/participating partners/teams/networks
  • Hybrid solutions/software solutions for earlier use

Cooperation/teaming (15%):

  • Cooperation between research and industry (manufacturers, suppliers, users)

Responsible

The Quantum Effects Award will be presented by Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG, Messepiazza 1, 70629 Stuttgart, hereinafter referred to as LMS. The winners will be selected by an independent expert jury.

Admission criteria

Partial solutions, which come from the quantum mechanics area of sensors, communication, computing and security, are eligible to take part in the competition. Entries must also be characterised by a TR Level 5 or higher, and possess a high level of innovation and future potential or are already being used in initial solutions. Publication or the market launch should not date back more than three years. Participation in this competition is free. Judging will be performed by the jury on the basis of the written and visualised entries. Deviations from the required format may lead to exclusion from the judging procedure. The entry deadline is 31 May 2025.

Copyright/Rights of use of publication

All copyrights will remain with the entrants. The entrants will grant LMS the right to report on the competition entries as part of the press activities relating to the Quantum Effects Award and/or the Quantum Effects trade fair. This provision also applies to the result of the competition.

Designation and author's declaration

If products are submitted for which copyright does not lie exclusively with the entrants, written consent from the owners of these copyrights must be enclosed. This consent must also be provided for the press publications relating to this competition and the results.

Composition of the jury

The jury, which will comprise experts from the field of quantum technologies and other partners, will make their decision based on a simple majority. The decision of the jury cannot be challenged. The judges’ decision is final.

Award, prizes, presentation

The winners will receive

  • a trophy and a certificate
  • digital assets to publicise their Award
  • free admission for the contact person and one accompanying person to the Quantum Effects 2025
  • exclusive reporting by LMS
  • complete package “BASIC 4 m2 ” (contains a defined stand area, stand construction and services) at Quantum Effects 2025 to the value of €3,190. The amount will be offset against an alreadyexisting stand booking. No cash payment will be made in respect of the Award. (Subsequent) costs such as travelling, accommodation, etc. are not included in the prize.

Commercial use

The Quantum Effects Award may only be used commercially for the award-winning products. All award-winning products may bear the new quality seal as a label. LMS will provide free advertising media for this purpose.

Exclusion from the award

The LMS reserves the right to exclude persons from the award in the following cases:

  • in the event of violation of the conditions of participation,
  • if unauthorised aids are used or if advantages are gained through manipulation or similar.
  • in the event of false information provided during registration.