A Quantum Future: Exploring Quantum Technologies and Careers
Join us in Riga (or online) for a one-day event dedicated to the exciting frontiers of quantum technologies and their growing impact on science, industry, and education. Organized as part of the ADEQUATE Project and alongside the project’s final partner meeting, this event brings together students, researchers, and professionals to explore the future of quantum computing and its real-world applications.
Through engaging keynote talks, expert insights into quantum career paths, and a hands-on workshop on Quantum Machine Learning, participants will gain valuable perspectives on the evolving quantum ecosystem. The event will also feature selected project presentations by students from the ADEQUATE online course — a course that has already attracted hundreds of learners across Europe through its accessible, application-driven approach to quantum computing education.
In addition, this event proudly contributes to the global celebrations of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, recognizing the transformative potential of quantum research and innovation. As we celebrate this milestone, we aim to foster broader awareness, collaboration, and inspiration across the quantum community and beyond.
Whether you are just beginning your journey into quantum technologies or already working in the field, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and imagine the quantum future together.
Attend our meeting
Monday, June 9, 2025
Online (MS Teams) or SINISTRUM Auditorium (Room 107)
University of Latvia, House of Nature, Jelgavas iela 1, Riga, Latvia
Schedule
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Welcome Coffee & Networking |
| 09:00 – 09:50 | Keynote Session: “Navigating the Quantum Ecosystem” by Araceli Venegas-Gomez (QURECA) An introduction to the quantum landscape, covering fundamental concepts, current developments, and the role of academia and industry in shaping the future of quantum technologies. The session will highlight emerging applications across fields like computing, cryptography, and sensing. |
| 09:50 – 10:15 | “Recent results and challenges in quantum algorithms” by Andris Ambanis (Latvian Quantum Initiate) This talk will focus on the developments in quantum algorithms in the last 5 years, from the development of block encodings as an algorithmic tool to recent superquadratic quantum speedups for several problems. We will also talk about the big challenges in the field and research agenda for the future. |
| 10:15 – 10:40 | “Quantum Outreach in Schools” by Abuzer Yakaryilmaz (University of Latvia) We will begin with a review of the existing literature on quantum outreach in schools. Next, we will introduce “My Photonic Ship”, a recently developed workshop designed for high school and university-level students to explore quantum concepts through game development. Finally, we will present initial questionnaire results collected from seven workshop events. |
| 10:40 – 11:00 | Coffee & Networking Break |
| 11:00 – 11:25 | Invited Speaker: “Enabling a Quantum Future in Finland: Ecosystem, Careers, and Emerging Opportunities” by Mahdi Moghaddam (InstituteQ – the Finnish quantum institute) An introduction to the Finnish quantum ecosystem and its role in international quantum landscape, covering research and education programs, policy initiatives, and industry environment. The talk will also include an overview of recently published Finnish quantum strategy, and career opportunities in research and industry. |
| 11:25 – 12:15 | Project presentations by the students of ADEQUATE course (To be announced) |
| 12:15 – 13:00 | Lunch & Networking |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Hands-on workshop “Transpiling Quantum Circuits with Qiskit” by Eliška Krátká (Czech Technical University) Quantum computers have physical constraints, such as limited qubit connectivity and a restricted set of native gates. Transpilation is the process of transforming and optimizing a quantum circuit to match the topology and gate set of a specific device. We’ll explore why transpilation is essential when working with IBM quantum hardware and put it into practice by writing simple circuits, transpiling them with Qiskit, and preparing them for execution on real quantum devices. |
| 14:00 – 15:15 | Hands-on workshop “Quantum Machine Learning for Principal Component Analysis” by Ricky Kienhoefer (QURECA) Quantum Principal Component Analysis (QPCA) is a quantum machine learning technique that speeds up finding patterns in large datasets. Using Qiskit, we’ll compare classical and quantum PCA on the Yale Faceset to see how quantum computing can improve tasks like facial recognition. |
| 15:15 – 15:45 | Coffee & Networking (End of Main Program) |
| 15:45 – 17:00 | ADEQUATE Project Meeting (Partners Only) |
Registration
Participation in the event is free of charge, but registration is mandatory.
Coffee breaks will be provided during the event.
Lunch is not included and will be at participants’ own expense.
Please complete your in-person or online registration using the following link by Sunday, June 8, 2025.
Organization
Organized by the ADEQUATE project partners:
Organizing Team:
- Abuzer Yakaryilmaz, (Department of Computer Science, University of Latvia)
- Araceli Venegas-Gomez (QURECA)
- Aurél Gábris (QWorld Association)
Contact: abuzer.yakaryilmaz [at] lu.lv