QUTAC – German industry leaders on the path to digital sovereignty
Physicists and computer scientists are engaging in quantum computer for years – and for good reason: the new computing approach has the potential to solve, in very short time, tasks that would take even supercomputers months to complete. Countries and companies are already competing for technological leadership in this field. Germany plays a relevant role in basic research on quantum computers, but in the commercial field mainly US companies attract attention with the development of hardware prototypes. In 2020/2021, some of the leading major German companies therefore decided to form a consortium. Their goal: to jointly develop commercial use cases for quantum computers and strengthen the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe.
Task
As agency partner, we support the founding members during the establishment phase in the development of a brand and strategic orientation. Our goal: creating a label and a concept that help to express the consortium’s self-image and its claim as a representative of the German quantum ecosystem, as well as strengthening its external communication.
Implementation
In close cooperation with the founding members, we developed the brand for Quantum Technology & Application Consortium – QUTAC for short. Within just three months, our task force guided the members through brand development and alignment, designed the website and the complete brand presence including social media, and created suitable content. PIO developed the name and logo, formulated and underpinned the consortium’s key messages and created content pieces for case studies of individual QUTAC members for the launch, which present the challenging topics of industrial quantum computing in an understandable and engaging way. In addition, we supported the consortium in announcing its foundation to leading German media.
Result
Through the use of interviews with the members in leading daily newspapers and a video statement by Federal Minister Peter Altmaier on the initiative’s website launch, PIO ensured immediate presence and attention within the industry – in Germany and beyond. Major German media houses, including Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, reported on QUTAC’s rollout. The consortium’s LinkedIn account holds over 1,000 followers. After the first few months of brand building and PR, QUTAC is now one of the leading industry collaborations in Germany‘s quantum computing ecosystem. We continue to accompany and support QUTAC in expanding and leveraging its public awareness.