Multiverse Computing Utilizes Quantum Technology to Predict Floods

With the advent of climate change, catastrophic floods are becoming increasingly common. Adapting to the new climate reality is no easy task, but technological advancements offer a glimmer of hope.

In the industry tackling this challenge is a quantum software company called Multiverse Computing. This Spanish startup has secured £100,000 in funding from Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency, to improve flood risk assessment using quantum technology.

To achieve this goal, Multiverse Computing will collaborate with Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) based in the UK and Moody's Analytics based in the US. The three-way partnership will utilize quantum computing to address computational challenges in existing large-scale flood models and develop new predictive models for more accurate and efficient risk assessment.

The current methods are limited by the increased computational costs of conducting large-scale complex simulations at high resolutions. However, according to Sergio Gago, General Manager of Moody's Quantum and GenAI division, the emergence of new technologies such as quantum computing provides significant opportunities for progress.

Gago states, "Specifically, quantum machine learning (QML) holds great potential in developing simulators to replace traditional physical models." Similarly, Enrique Lizaso Olmos, Founder and CEO of Multiverse Computing, believes that advancements in quantum methods could help address climate change.

This Spanish startup is the main contractor for this project, responsible for software and quantum algorithm development. OQC will provide the necessary quantum hardware, while Moody's will contribute industry expertise, data, and insights on computational efficiency.

The project has qualified for the first stage of the Quantum Catalyst Fund competition supported by Innovate UK. If successful, it will proceed to the second stage next year with a budget of £1.2 million.

The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be the first customer to test this solution, seeking better adaptation to extreme weather events caused by climate change. According to Moody's estimates, inland flooding in the UK results in over £700 million in losses annually.

Unfortunately, there have been too many instances of destructive impacts from such phenomena. In 2021, floods in Germany and Belgium resulted in 209 deaths and over €30 billion in damages. This year, torrential rains in central Greece caused paralysis. Utilizing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing to mitigate or even prevent these consequences is now more crucial than ever.