Multiverse computing uses quantum technology to predict the flood

Climate change is here. Along with that, catastrophic floods are becoming more common. Adapting to a new climate is no easy task, but technological advances offer a ray of hope.

Among the industry players tackling this challenge is quantum software company Multiverse Computing. A Spanish startup has won £100,056 in funding from Innovate UK to improve flood risk assessment using quantum technology.

To achieve this goal, Multiverse Computing will work with UK-based Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and US-based Moody’s Analytics. Together, the trio will use quantum computing to address the computational challenges in existing large-scale flood modeling and develop new predictive models that estimate risks more accurately and efficiently.

Current methods are limited by the increased computational costs of running sophisticated simulations over large areas at high-resolution. But according to Sergio Gago, Moody’s managing director of quantum and GenAI, the emergence of new technologies like quantum computing offers significant opportunities for advancement.

„In particular, there is promising potential in the application of quantum machine learning (QML) to develop prototypes as alternatives to traditional physics-based models,” Kago said. Similarly, Enrique Lizazo Olmos, founder and CEO of Multiverse Computing, believes that the improved accuracy and efficiency of the quantum approach could contribute to climate change adaptation efforts.

The Spanish startup is the project’s lead contractor and will be behind the software and quantum algorithm development. OQC will provide the necessary quantum hardware, while Moody’s will contribute industrial, data and computational capacity insights.

The project has been placed in Phase 1 of the Quantum Catalyst Fund competition supported by Innovate UK. If successful, it will move to a second phase next year, with a budget of £1.2mn.

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the first customer to seek to better adapt to extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Moody’s estimates the UK faces losses of £700mn a year from inland flooding.

Unfortunately, examples of the event’s destructive impact abound. In 2021, Floods in Germany and Belgium It killed 209 people and caused more than 30 billion euros in damage. This year it rained a lot Disabled Central Greece. Using advanced technologies such as AI and quantum computing, it is now more important than ever to mitigate and prevent consequences.