Mullingar student wins quantum solutions award

A UCD student from Mullingar won first place at the inaugural Equal1 All Ireland quantum solutions competition at Trinity College Dublin.

The competition on April 14 was part of a full-day Quantum Ireland event at Trinity Business School on World Quantum Day.

The awards celebrated exceptional student-led ideas with the potential to drive real-world environmental impact through quantum technologies.

The competition was launched to mark the 60th anniversary of John Stewart Bell’s quantum discoveries and invited students across Ireland to propose innovative solutions for quantum science and environmental sustainability.

Maya Kamboj, along with her colleague from UCD, presented an idea for water saving in the Panama Canal, while explaining how quantum technologies can help some of the environmental challenges we face.

Maya said: “We developed a method using quantum computing to produce algorithms so that you can save fresh water, especially during times of drought in the Panama Canal, and we observed a 40% reduction in freshwater usage there, bringing a lot of environmental and economic benefits.

A total prize fund of €10,000 was allocated to be awarded to the top teams. In addition, they will receive advice and mentorship from some of the leaders in quantum and environmental science.

Maya said: “Hopefully other opportunities arise from this, we’re both passionate about the applications of quantum computing, especially to real-life logistics.”