Projects
Q-VERSE: Quantum Virtual Ecosystem for a unified Runtime for agnostic Software Engineering

Q-VERSE: Quantum Virtual Ecosystem for a unified Runtime for agnostic Software Engineering

Duration
2026 - 2028

Q-VERSE will focus on a wide spectrum of algorithmic approaches, directly and indirectly related to quantum computing. Namely, Quantum Machine Learning (QML) and Quantum Optimization, where Q-VERSE will integrate tools for robust quantum software validation, realistic simulation under noise, and adaptive test case assessment. By embedding noise characterisation, transfer learning techniques, and support for multiple real-world noise models, Q-VERSE will bridge the gap between idealised simulation environments and noisy quantum hardware, thus enabling scalable, trustworthy, and platform-agnostic quantum software development.

Next, Q-VERSE will translate the developed enablers and modules in a cross-platform, technology-agnostic open quantum standard. The project will build the necessary interfaces and building blocks to support OpenQASM which serves as the universal quantum assembly language, and Quantum Intermediate Representation (QIR) which provides LLVM-based compilation targets that support classical control flow and hardware-agnostic program representation. Q-VERSE’s goal is to create a universal intermediate representation (IR) that can compile to multiple quantum assembly languages (QASM variants, Quil, QIR) and implement dynamic backend capability discovery allowing runtime detection of hardware features, gate sets, and connectivity constraints. All these will be supported from a standardised API, which, in its first stages, will support RESTful, gRPC APIs for quantum job submission that align with emerging industry standards, with the necessary Eclipse Qrisp SDK bindings. The SDK will also support the connection with quantum annealing-based algorithms.

Specifically, Simula Research Laboratory participates in Q-VERSE as a partner institution. The efforts from Simula's side are led by Shaukat Ali, the Department Head of Engineering Complex Software Systems. Simula leads the work package related to Quantum Enablers and Integration Components and, in particular, tasks related to building a quantum-classical hybridisation framework, application and platform testing framework, and benchmarking and performance tools.

Funding

This project is funded by the Horizon Europe programme under Call HORIZON-CL4-2025-03 under Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space).

Specifically, the project falls under the topic HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02, which is titled: "Quantum Computing – complementing the quantum computing FPAs with the development of a technology agnostic software stack". It is a HORIZON-RIA (Horizon Research and Innovation Actions).

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the Granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Partners

  • Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Germany) - Coordinator
  • Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Spain)
  • Organismos Tilepikoinonion tis Ellados OTE AE (Greece)
  • DB Systel GmbH (Germany)
  • Eclipse Foundation Europe GmbH (Germany)
  • Simula Research Laboratory AS (Norway)
  • Multiverse Computing SL (Spain)
  • K3Y (Bulgaria)
  • Adrestia Erevnitiki Idiotiki Kefalaiouxiki Etaireia EL (Greece)
  • Athina-Erevnitiko Kentro Kainotomias stis Technologies tis Pliroforias, ton Epikoinonion kai tis Gnosis (Greece)
  • Zortenet Idiotiki Kefalaiouxiki Etaireia EL (Greece)
  • Hochschule RheinMain (Germany)
  • Univerza v Ljubljani (Slovenia)

Contact

For more information, please reach out to the following contact person at Simula Research Laboratory: