19-05-2025
Daejeon, Amazon Web Services seal deal on global quantum technology cooperation
Daejeon seeks to become strategic base for S. Korea's quantum industry
The city of Daejeon announced Monday that it has officially inked a memorandum of understanding with Amazon Web Services to become a leading center for quantum industrial development.
The agreement aims to foster cooperation across the entire quantum technology value chain, including quantum technology verification, industrialization support, talent development and additional global collaboration.
The city is set to form mid- to long-term plans to establish a solid foundation for the industrialization of quantum technologies, build a robust research and industrial ecosystem around quantum technology, secure world-class technological competitiveness and provide local startups and research institutes to enter international markets.
According to the city government, one of the most significant outcomes of the recent memorandum is that Daejeon-based companies and research institutes will have access to Amazon Braket — an AWS cloud-based quantum computing platform that provides access to cloud infrastructure integrated with quantum hardware from global leaders, including IBM, IOonQ, IQM, QuEra and Rigetti Computing.
The city believes this will enable Daejeon to secure a global-level experimental environment for the entire quantum technology process, from algorithm testing and development to commercialization.
Daejeon will also collaborate with AWS' Quantum Embark program to offer appropriate consulting, cloud-based testing environments to local small and midsized enterprises and joint initiatives for access to the global market.
The Quantum Embark program helps users prepare for quantum computing through three major modules, including expert-led education by AWS professionals, exploration of use cases and strengthening technological competence. This process allows the clients to understand emerging technologies, identify relevant quantum solutions and make decisions based on the long-term quantum technology data.
Daejeon, a central city that has long led South Korea's growth in innovation, plans to connect its existing quantum infrastructure with AWS' global platform to create the quantum industry ecosystem and solidify its position for the era of quantum industrialization.
'Daejeon stands at the forefront of a new era of convergence between quantum technology and cloud computing. The combination of AWS' cloud-based quantum computing resources and Daejeon's research infrastructure is expected to positively impact both foreign investment and the overseas expansion of the local startups,' said Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo in a press release Monday.
Yoon Jeong-won, head of AWS Korea's public sector division, also expects that the agreement will significantly strengthen South Korea's quantum ecosystem.
Daejeon has already been striving to establish a leading quantum cluster backed by more than 30 national research institutes, including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute and more, with annual quantum research and development spending amounting to hundreds of billions of Korean won.
The city plans to make efforts toward the industrialization of quantum technology by fostering 50 quantum-related startups, attracting 100 billion won ($71 million) in investment and supporting Daejeon's global market expansion by 2028.
'Daejeon is proactively responding to global market changes and will become the hub for the convergence of quantum and cloud technologies. The agreement marks a historic turning point in the globalization of South Korea's quantum industry by extending its global network to major private tech companies,' the mayor said.
