16 March 2026
Prof. Tommaso Calarco from Forschungszentrum Jülich has been awarded the Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award 2026. With this honor, the professional association Optica recognizes his his influential role in establishing a coordinated research program and international networking of quantum technologies in Europe.
Tommaso Calarco is director of the Peter Grünberg Institute for Quantum Control (PGI-8) at Forschungszentrum Jülich and professor of quantum information at the University of Cologne and the University of Bologna. The quantum physicist is considered one of the architects of the European quantum strategy.
As author of the "Quantum Manifesto," he laid the foundation for the European Commission's Quantum Flagship program. Today, he is co-chair of the Quantum Community Network (QCN) and secretary of the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group on Quantum Technologies, chaired by Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen.
His research focuses on quantum control, quantum information, and quantum simulation. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of quantum optimal control methods that enable the precise manipulation of complex quantum systems - a key technology for quantum computers and quantum sensors.
After studying and completing his doctorate in Ferrara, his scientific career took him to Innsbruck, Trento, and Ulm, among other places, as well as to research stays at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Harvard University. Tommaso Calarco is also a co-founder of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC) and advises European institutions on strategic developments in quantum technologies.
Established in 1997, the Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award honors individuals or groups who, through their commitment beyond their own research, have had a lasting impact on the optics and photonics community or society as a whole. Since 2012, the award has been named after Robert E. Hopkins and is sponsored by Milton Chang and New Focus.
