What will Quantum Valley be like? These are the courses you can take to get a job.

Just a month ago, President Salvador Illa appeared at the lectern in the press room at the Generalitat Palace and announced one of the flagship measures of his term in the scientific field: "We are finalizing an agreement to make Quantum Valley a reality. This is an ambitious project that will seek to make Catalonia a benchmark in quantum technologies," he emphasized. He then accompanied the announcement with two financial figures: "It will be led by the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) and will have an initial investment of €5.5 million, which will rise to €43 million over a period of five years." This money will be used to strengthen and expand the Catalan quantum technology ecosystem, which has flourished strongly for years and is mainly made up of research centers, large telecommunications companies, and startups.

"In 2025, the Catalan ecosystem in quantum technologies will be much richer and more consolidated than just three years ago," analyzes Bruno Julia, coordinator of the master's degree in quantum science and technology at the University of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). He justifies this by stating that start-ups Quantum computing—such as Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, LuxQuanta, and Quside—have experienced significant growth in recent years. He also mentions important advances in infrastructure: "A quantum computer funded by the national Quantum Spain project has been acquired and installed at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, but a quantum simulator with ultracold gases has also been developed at ICFO." This good pace in the sector, coupled with Illa's announcement, suggests an explosion in demand for future professionals in the quantum computing sector. But exactly what profiles will be needed? And will the offerings at Catalan universities be sufficient to provide them?

Quantum physics in the classroom

Over the last five years, quantum physics has gained ground in the educational offerings of Catalan universities. "Now, for our master's degree, we're approaching its fifth edition and we expect to reach 150 applications to fill the 30 places we offer," explains Julia. It's one of the most in-demand degrees in the field of quantum physics in our country, but there are others as well, such as the master's degree in photonics, which is also offered jointly by the UB, the UAB, and the UPC. However, Quantum Valley will require many more types of professional profiles than just quantum experts. "It's a topic that's often talked about within the sector," explains the expert. In this regard, he emphasizes that talent from the fields of nanofabrication and electronics will be necessary: technical profiles who know how to work in a clean room, that is, in spaces where the air has perfectly defined parameters.

With the aim of spurring the development of this talent, the Catalan quantum ecosystem has joined forces to create the Catalonia Quantum Academy. This is a collaborative platform created to coordinate energies and leverage the region's internationally recognized expertise to strengthen education, training, and professional development in quantum science and technology. "It is now in the implementation phase," explains Julia, who also serves on the project's board of directors. The Catalonia Quantum Academy is already investing in improving the academic infrastructure of the experimental laboratory and in the implementation of programs to support talent attraction, foster student and researcher mobility, run schools and events, and support professional development and community building. "The overall picture is very exciting, and if ICFO is able to lead the Quantum Valley collaboratively with the other stakeholders, it will be a turning point."