On December 9-10, 2019, the first inaugural meeting of “Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Networks” (FG-QIT4N) organized by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector and hosted by Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology was grandly held in Jinan. Nearly 100 expert representatives in the field of quantum information technology from 16 countries including the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom attended the meeting. This is the first focus group in the field of quantum information technology in the international standardization organizations.

      "On the fertile land of Jinan, the quantum industry has grown from scratch and made new achievements one after another" In his welcome speech, Sun Bin,Vice Mayor of Jinan Municipal People’s Government mentioned that Jinan has formed a quantum technology industry chain from operational services, system integration, machine manufacturing, core component development to raw material supply, and has assembled a high-level quantum scientific research talent team.

      "To develop an industry, priority must be given to standards. The development and industrialization of quantum information technology is still in its infancy. Standardization is to build a bridge for the development of new technologies from scientific research to industrial development. Through openness, cooperation, and consensus, standards provide effective tools and powerful means to promote the rapid development of the industrialization of emerging information and communication technologies." Said Yang Zemin, secretary-general of the China Communications Standards Association.

      This meeting reported on the work carried out by the International Telecommunication Union and other international standardization organizations in the field of quantum information technology, reviewed standardization-related manuscripts and discussed relevant work plans for 2020.

      The reporter learned at this meeting that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) "Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Networks (FG-QIT4N)" is the first focus group in the field of quantum information technology in international standardization organizations (including ISO, IEC, etc.). The Focus Group will organize and coordinate the standardization research work of quantum communication, quantum computing and other technologies in the ITU, and cooperate with other standardization organizations, aiming to build an open work platform for global quantum information standardization and promote the efficient and healthy development of standardization work. In the meanwhile, the successful establishment of the Focus Group has built the input and output channels for the standardization of quantum information between China and the world, and has also enabled Jinan to move towards the international stage of quantum information standardization work, which has greatly strengthened China’s international standard voice in the field of quantum information technology. The convening of this meeting will further bring together experts in the quantum field from all over the world, and build an international standard interconnection platform for quantum information technology through extensive cross-field and all-round cooperation, in order to promote the quantum technology innovation and industrial transformation in China, and provide a strong power to accelerate the agglomeration of quantum industry.

      For a long time, China has been tirelessly exploring the field of quantum technology standardization. With the vigorous promotion of institutions and companies like CAS Holdings, CAS Quantum Network Co., Ltd., QuantumCTek Co., Ltd., Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology and Shandong Institute of Quantum Science and Technology Co., Ltd., China has established the Special Task Group (CCSA ST7) on Quantum Communication and Information Technology under China Communications Standards Association. Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology, as the leader of the Quantum Information Processing Work Group of the Special Task Group, has cooperated with Shandong Institute of Quantum Science and Technology Co., Ltd. and other institutions to carry out standardized research on quantum secret communication system testing and evaluation, quantum key distribution security and others, laying a solid foundation for the standards to lead the development of the industry. In January of this year, the first National Technical Committee (TC578) on Quantum Computing and Metrology of Standardization Administration of China was also formally established in Jinan, with its secretariat undertaken by Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology. Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology will fully carry out quantum information technology standardization research work, effectively promoting quantum technology innovation and relevant accelerated agglomeration of industries.

      Sun Bin said that in the next step, Jinan will strengthen and expand quantum communications, make breakthroughs in the development of quantum measurement, explore the layout of quantum computing, and build Jinan Quantum Valley into a leading domestic application technology research and development and industrialization base, as well as a military-civilian integration industrialization base. By 2022, Jinan will strive to achieve a quantum information industry scale of RMB 2 billion; by 2030, it will achieve a quantum information industry scale of RMB 30 billion, with the ability to develop a 100 billion-level industry. "We hope to use the convening of this meeting as an opportunity to further deepen international cooperation in quantum technology standards and promote the establishment of a new model of scientific and technological research and development, standard development and industrial coordinated development." Said Sun Bin.