New research project aims to bring quantum technology closer to application in the healthcare sector

A new research and innovation project aims to exploit the full potential of quantum computers and make the technology easier to use in drug development and pharmaceutical research. Innovation Fund Denmark is investing DKK 17.4 million in the project.

Quantum computers hold enormous potential to revolutionize drug development, but today the potential is limited by the fact that the technology is difficult to work with in practice. With a new Grand Solutions grant from Innovation Fund Denmark, researchers from Aarhus University and Aalborg University, together with the Danish quantum technology company Kvantify, will now develop a software stack that makes quantum computers easier to use – and thus brings the technology closer to practical application in the healthcare sector.

The project ODAQS – Optimal Design Automation towards a Performant Quantum Software Stack is led by Professor Jaco van de Pol from the Department of Computer Science at Aarhus University. The project will develop new methods and tools that make it possible to work with quantum computers in a simpler and more reliable way – without researchers and companies having to take into account the technical limitations of each individual machine.

- Quantum computers have enormous potential, but today they are very difficult to use in practice. Our goal is to develop software that makes quantum technology much more accessible and usable – so that it can be used for concrete societal challenges such as the development of new medicine, says Jaco van de Pol, project leader and professor at the Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University.

A central part of the project focuses on using advanced learning methods to automate and optimize the development of quantum software.

- One of the biggest challenges in quantum software is finding good solutions without using enormous amounts of computing power. In ODAQS, we will use reinforcement learning to teach software to create more efficient quantum programs. This makes it possible to utilize quantum computers better – even with the hardware we have available today, says Kim Guldstrand Larsen, professor at Aalborg University.

Can save time and costs in drug development

A large part of the cost of drug development lies in the early stages, when researchers test and screen out potential drug candidates. In the long term, quantum computers could provide far more precise calculations of chemical processes than classical computers.

ODAQS combines research in programming languages, algorithms, optimized compilation, simulation and software verification to automate the path from idea and calculation to finished quantum programs. The project has a particular focus on quantum chemistry and drug development, where improved computational methods can reduce both time and costs in the early stages of developing new medicines.

Kvantify will use the project's results to demonstrate how improved software building blocks can be leveraged and translated into reliable and practical technologies for quantum-based computation.

If we can utilize quantum computers more effectively, we can reduce both time and costs in the early stages of drug development. ODAQS provides us with an important technological foundation to bring quantum computers closer to industrial application, says Allan Grønlund, co-founder and CTO of Kvantify.

Strong Danish cooperation

The project brings together research environments from Aarhus University and Aalborg University, as well as the company Kvantify. Together, they will develop key software building blocks and tools that can be used in research, education and business, and which in the long term can strengthen Denmark's position within quantum technology.

ODAQS runs from 2026 to 2029 and has received a grant under the Innovation Fund Denmark's Grand Solutions program, which invests in ambitious projects with great potential for society and business.

Facts

• Project title: Optimal Design Automation towards a Performant Quantum Software Stack (ODAQS)
• Innovation Fund Denmark's investment: DKK 17.4 million.
• Duration: 3 years (2026–2029)

Additional information

Jaco van de Pol, professor, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University
Tel.: +45 22 38 71 02 · jaco@cs.au.dk

Kim Guldstrand Larsen, professor, Department of Computer Science, Aalborg University
kgl@cs.aau.dk

Allan Grønlund, co-founder and CTO, Kvantify
ag@kvantify.dk

Innovation Fund Denmark, Line Præstekjær Skouboe · +45 61 90 50 39 · line.skouboe@innofond.dk