Quantum UiB – Bergen Centre for Quantum Technology

The Bergen Centre for Quantum Technology will officially open in September 2026, and Professor of Informatics Pinar Heggernes will head the new centre. Quantum UiB will bring selected groups at the Department of Physics and Technology and the Department of Informatics closer together. Quantum technology is about using nature’s smallest building blocks to solve large and demanding problems. The technology could lead to unprecedented breakthroughs in areas such as health, navigation, security and energy. In a field characterised by major international investment and fierce competition, UiB is now taking a clear stance. Coinciding with the centre’s opening, the first students on a new five-year Master’s programme in quantum technology will also be welcomed. – UiB is particularly strong in several areas of quantum technology, especially in applied research. With UiB Quantum, we are taking a clear and important position in a field that will be of great significance in the future. This is also an important development for national capacity in this field,” says Margareth Hagen, Rector of UiB.

Significant contribution from the Trond Mohn Research Foundation

The centre is being established through close collaboration between the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Trond Mohn Research Foundation (TMF). Funding from TMF also requires a significant contribution from the university itself.– Quantum technology is of strategic importance and could have long-term implications across many fields. We are therefore very proud to be able to support UiB both by strengthening existing expertise and by linking different research fields more closely together, with the ambition of positioning Bergen as a visible and competitive player in the national and international quantum landscape,” says Nicholas Knag Nunn, Executive Director of the Trond Mohn Research Foundation. Gunn Mangerud, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, is delighted with the grant and highlights the strong academic assessment on which the award is based. – Among other things, UiB Quantum will play a key role in advancing quantum research across disciplines, and it was therefore particularly encouraging to receive such a strong evaluation from the international peer reviewers, says Mangerud.

Part of a national initiative

The Norwegian government has identified quantum technology as a strategically important area for Norway and is investing over one billion kroner in quantum technology over the next five years. A national strategy is expected in 2026. Sigrun Aasland, Minister of Research and Higher Education, is very positive about the Trond Mohn Research Foundation and the University of Bergen now establishing a quantum centre in Bergen. – I would like to commend the University of Bergen for investing in emerging technologies and establishing both a master’s programme and a research centre in quantum technology. The government’s aim is to increase private funding for research in Norway, and it is very gratifying that the Trond Mohn Research Foundation is once again demonstrating what can be achieved with private funding, says Aasland.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

The centre is designed to foster extensive collaboration. At the University of Bergen, researchers in physics, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, geosciences and medicine will work together, and the centre will also draw on the expertise of clinical departments at Haukeland University Hospital, organisations within the defence and security sectors, Norwegian industry and business, as well as leading international research communities. A key objective for the centre is to contribute to the earlier detection of cancer through quantum sensing. Researchers at UiB are developing quantum-based sensors capable of detecting minute quantities of biomolecules in the blood and identifying cancer long before symptoms appear. Another priority area is safe navigation without the use of GPS. GPS signals can be disrupted or jammed, and quantum-based navigation can provide better solutions for aviation, shipping and underwater operations, which is particularly important for a maritime nation such as Norway.The centre will also work on improved planning and management within shipping, transport and energy systems. Digital security is central to all these applications, and the centre will place significant emphasis on post-quantum cryptography and quantum communication.

Education and skills development

Quantum UiB will commence operations on 1 August 2026. The centre’s official opening will take place on 15 September, combined with a business seminar on the potential of quantum technology. Student applications are now being accepted for the Master of Science in Quantum Technology. In addition, UiB will develop continuing and further education programmes, with short courses for people in employment. The aim is to make quantum technology more understandable and accessible to a wider audience. With Quantum UiB-Bergen Centre for Quantum Technology, UiB is taking a leading role in the development of new technology that will shape society in the decades to come. The centre is an important addition to UiB’s focus on science and technology, known as UiB Realfaghøyden.

Project leader: Pinar Heggernes, UiB

Host department: Department of informatics

Funding period: 2026-2031

TMF contribution: 25 MNOK