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Leveraging the highly innovative technology of
quantum computing

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Quantum Computing 

Who we are

Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing is a quickly evolving, groundbreaking technology with huge promise in tackling hard to solve or impossible to solve problems we encounter today. In the chemical industry in particular, this cutting-edge approach to computing technology will make the search for new products and applications even more efficient and more accurate. Additionally, we see it will enable large scale simulations of different scenarios in highly complex environments. 

Next Generation Computing

For scientific and business work, more and more computing power is needed to answer increasingly complex questions. Classical digital approaches are gradually reaching their limits. New ways must be found to achieve the necessary computing power to handle huge volumes of data, to use artificial intelligence or to resolve answers more accurately while reducing the time to solution. That is why BASF invests into next generation computing technologies. The experts at BASF have been working with high-performance computing methods for years gaining extensive experience in digital simulation and modelling.

BASF is uniquely positioned to leverage the highly innovative technology of quantum computing. Please join us on our journey to create the reality of quantum computing for industrial applications.

Brian Chol Soo Standen

Global Head of Digital Innovation at BASF

Our approach is balanced and multifaceted

We are building upon our long-standing experience in High Performance Computing and participate in multiple quantum computing ecosystems to collaborate with different partners around the globe.

Governmental Relations & Interest Groups

Academic Collaborations

Industry and Commercial Partnerships

Investments

Quantum Computing is a key technology that will help us to provide our customers in the chemical industry with unique growth opportunities. 
We are active on a national and international basis to ensure long-term fundamental progress, amongst others. We are a member of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), the German Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC), the OpenSuperQ Industrial User Board, bitkom e.V. as well as QuPharm and the Advisory Board of Q4Climate, an initiative aimed to explore how quantum computing could help humanity reach its sustainability goals.
  1. Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC)
  2. Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC)
  3. OpenSuperQ
  4. bitkom Working Group High Performance Computing & Quantum Computing (in German)
  5. Roadmap Quantencomputing (in German)
  6. Pharmaceutical companies from alliance to share the risks and rewards of quantum computing
  7. Q4Climate
We collaborate with academic partners to ensure long term fundamental progress, e.g. we work together with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in their quantum computer initiative with IBM and we are part of the Fraunhofer Competence Network Quantum Computing. Furthermore, we participate in an Innovative Training Network funded by the European Union that aims at training early-stage researchers in the field of quantum science and technology. 
  1. Innovative Training Network “Molecular Quantum Simulations” (MOQS)
  2. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
  3. Fraunhofer Competence Network Quantum Computing
We invest worldwide in young, fast-growing companies and funds related to current and future businesses of BASF via the corporate venture capital company of the BASF Group. In 2019 and 2020, BASF Venture Capital invested in Zapata Computing Inc. which aims to be the market leader in quantum algorithms and software, providing a complete toolset for solving problems on near term quantum computers.
  1. BASF Venture Capital Portfolio Company: Zapata Computing Inc.
  2. Zapata Computing Announces $38 Million Funding for Series B Financing (November 19, 2020)
  3. BASF invests in quantum computing startup Zapata Computing (April 17, 2019)
Together with our commercial partners we focus on the near-term realization of use cases, e.g. we work together with Robert Bosch GmbH, HQS Quantum Simulations GmbH, Friedrich‐Alexander‐University Erlangen‐Nürnberg and Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf in a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In addition, we have established research partnerships with strong quantum computing companies Google and Zapata Computing Inc. to jointly develop quantum computing algorithms for industrial applications.
  1. Projekt MANIQU - Effiziente Materialsimulation auf NISQ‐Quantencomputern (in German)
  2. Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation 2019, 15, 4764
  3. Google Quantum AI
  4. Zapata Computing Inc.
Our strength lies in the combination of scientific excellence and industrially relevant applications. We continuously work on developing and implementing quantum algorithms for our use cases to ensure that BASF can benefit from this promising technology.

Dr. Michael Kühn

Head of Next Generation Computing at BASF

Digitalization at BASF
Using digital technologies and data, we create additional value for our customers and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our processes.
  1. More
Scientific Publications
  1. Classical and quantum trial wave functions in auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo applied to oxygen allotropes and a CuBr2 model system | The Journal of Chemical Physics | AIP Publishing
  2. Quantum Computing Techniques for Multi-knapsack Problems | SpringerLink
  3. Accuracy and Resource Estimations for Quantum Chemistry on a Near-Term Quantum Computer | Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
  4. Strategiebildung im Quantencomputing – ein holistischer Ansatz für die chemische Industrie | SpringerLink