- The awardee, Mikko Möttönen, D.Sc. (Tech), Professor of Quantum Technology at Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has persistently carried out research that is now being utilized in the development of commercial quantum computing.
- Nokia Foundation promotes and supports Finnish scientific development and education in the fields of information technology, telecommunications and related scientific disciplines.
Bengaluru, NFAPost: Nokia Foundation has granted its 2020 Recognition Award to Mikko Möttönen, D.Sc. (Tech), Professor of Quantum Technology at Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, for his contributions to quantum computing research.
The Foundation recognises groundbreaking and longstanding research in fundamental physics, as well as the talented people behind these achievements.
Recent innovations have paved the way towards the development of commercial applications of quantum computing, one of the most significant emerging research areas in ICT, expected to revolutionize traditional electric communications and computing.
Devices group
Möttönen was honored at the annual Nokia Foundation award ceremony tonight. The event was hosted as a virtual event for the first time.
Möttönen is a Professor of Quantum Technology at Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the leader of the Quantum Computing and Devices group at Aalto University, and a co-founder of the quantum computer company IQM.
Born in 1980, Möttönen completed his doctoral degree in 2005. He has since established himself as a leading researcher in quantum information. He has published more than 120 scientific articles, including four articles in prominent academic journals Nature and Science, and his research has been cited over 6,000 times.
Electric circuits
Möttönen has acted as a supervisor of 16 doctoral dissertations and 74 other academic theses. His research focuses on the use of superconducting electric circuits in quantum technology, especially in quantum computers.
He has also significantly influenced the education in this field. He is the Director of the Aalto Bachelor’s Programme in Science and Technology and the Head of its Quantum Technology major. Möttönen has also promoted Finnish research and ICT in his positions of trust, for example as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Defence.
Expressing happiness over getting the recognition, Mikko Möttönen said it has been great to see how quantum mechanics, which was generally considered as strange and rare, has over the years become a common tool that is being harnessed for industrial use around the world.
“I can’t wait to see what it turns out to be, especially in Finland, where, over the decades, we have been able to develop a unique ecosystem,” said Mikko Möttönen.
Breakthrough technology
Nokia Foundation Board Chairman Timo Ali-Vehmas said Quantum computing is an emerging breakthrough technology that will impact the principles of information and communication technologies in the coming years.
“Significant work in quantum computing in Finland has required long-term research, for example, in low-temperature physics. With this award, we want to honor the importance of this long-standing work, including the recent achievements and extensive cooperation between academic research and broader society. Particularly noteworthy are the steps taken towards the commercialization of scientific results,” said Nokia Foundation Board Chairman Timo Ali-Vehmas.
Nokia Foundation has granted over 1,800 scholarships and other grants during its 25-year existence. In 2020, the Foundation will grant scholarships and awards totaling around 400,000 euros.
The Foundation’s purpose is to support the scientific development of information and telecommunications technologies and to promote education in the sector in Finland.
Nokia Foundation provides scholarships and awards for this mission. The Foundation was established on the initiative of Nokia Oyj in 1995; it is an independent, non-profit organization under Finnish foundation law. www.nokiafoundation.com
