SCIENTISTS and experts from across the country gathered at the SZ-HK International Science Park for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Quantum Science Forum on Monday, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

The forum, organized by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong) Quantum Science Center, was the first event of the High-Level Academician Forum of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone (HTCZ).

It also represented the cooperation zone’s latest move to build a global platform for smart technology cooperation, following the release of a plan by the State Council to advance high-quality development in the Shenzhen region of the zone.

The plan, issued in August, outlines China’s support for Shenzhen and Hong Kong in jointly creating the “Quantum Valley“ in partnership with domestic and foreign universities and research institutes.

Shenzhen authorities will accelerate the development of major new scientific research institutions such as the quantum science center, facilitate collaborative endeavors among enterprises, universities and research institutions in the quantum field, accelerate the building of the “Quantum Valley” and promote advancements in quantum technology and industry, the Daily report said.

Xue Qikun, president of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and director of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong) Quantum Science Center, introduced the quantum science center’s latest developments at the forum.

According to Xue, since its establishment Aug. 18, 2022, the center has rapidly integrated and harnessed scientific and technological expertise from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the field of quantum science, with a focus on cutting-edge quantum science challenges and major national strategic requirements.

The center has identified six research directions, namely, quantum states and new quantum effects, key and core equipment, quantum computing, atomic, molecular and optical quantum properties and technologies, quantum precision measurement and quantum sensing, and functional quantum chips and technologies.

The six research directions are spearheaded by SUSTech, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the City University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Sun Yat-sen University.

The quantum science center will establish subcenters in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao, with Shenzhen’s Hetao area serving as the central hub, attracting over 200 scientists to participate in its construction.

The center has set up an academic advisory committee, headed by Wang Enge, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Peking University. In addition, an international expert committee has been formed to define the center’s medium-to-long-term research fields and directions. (Zhang Yu)