In a move that emphasises the growing international significance of quantum research, a high-level delegation from the Indian state of Karnataka, led by Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology N.S. Boseraju, recently visited ETH Zurich to explore new opportunities for collaboration in quantum technologies.

During their visit to the ETH Quantum Center, Minister Boseraju met with Professor Andreas Wallraff, Professor Jonathan Home, and Professor Klaus Ensslin, whose pioneering work in superconducting qubits and trapped ion systems places ETH Zurich among the global leaders driving the next generation of quantum computing.

“ETH Zurich represents the birthplace of modern quantum computing, where fundamental science has been transformed into working technology,” said Minister Boseraju. “Connecting Karnataka’s emerging quantum ecosystem with such world-class expertise is a privilege and an opportunity for transformative collaboration.”

The visit comes as Karnataka, home to India’s technology capital, Bengaluru, advances its vision to establish Quantum City (Q-City), a new multidisciplinary research and innovation hub for quantum technologies. The state aims to emulate ETH Zurich’s collaborative model, which connects academia, startups, and industry across Switzerland through shared research infrastructure and interdisciplinary exchange.

A Glimpse Into ETH’s Quantum Ecosystem

At ETH Zurich, the delegation explored state-of-the-art Superconducting Qubit and Trapped Ion laboratories, witnessing firsthand how ETH’s coordinated approach has enabled groundbreaking progress in quantum science and technology. These efforts are spearheaded by the ETH Quantum Center, founded in 2020 under the ETH+ Initiative on Quantum Science and Technology. The center serves as a collaborative platform uniting more than 30 research groups across disciplines, from physics and engineering to computer science and materials research.

Professor Andreas Wallraff, founding director of the Quantum Center and a world-renowned expert in superconducting quantum circuits, shared insights into ETH’s strategy for fostering innovation through both academic excellence and entrepreneurial spin-offs. One such success story is Zurich Instruments, an ETH spin-off that develops precision measurement systems used in quantum laboratories worldwide, including in India.

Inspiring Global Collaboration

Minister Boseraju’s discussions with ETH researchers focused on how Karnataka can adapt and localize ETH Zurich’s model of coordinated quantum research under the Q-City Bengaluru initiative. The envisioned hub will combine academic excellence, industrial innovation, and startup entrepreneurship to advance quantum hardware development and strengthen India’s position in the global quantum landscape.

“The collaboration between ETH Zurich and Karnataka reflects a shared vision,” said Andreas Wallraff. “Quantum technology has immense potential to shape the future of computing, communication, and sensing. By connecting leading research ecosystems, we accelerate both scientific discovery and real-world impact.”

ETH Zurich at the Forefront of Quantum Innovation

For decades, ETH Zurich has played a central role in shaping the field of quantum science, from foundational physics to real-world applications. As the home of the Quantum Engineering Master’s Programme, the ETH+ Quantum Initiative, and several leading research laboratories, ETH continues to act as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration and talent development.

Professor Wallraff’s own journey exemplifies ETH’s pioneering spirit. His research has advanced our understanding of quantum electrodynamics in superconducting circuits, laying the groundwork for scalable quantum processors. Under his leadership, ETH has established one of the world’s leading infrastructures for quantum experimentation and training, enabling students, researchers, and partners to collaborate at the highest scientific level.

Towards a Shared Quantum Future

The Karnataka delegation’s visit marks a milestone in strengthening academic and innovation ties between India and Switzerland. As both regions invest in the future of quantum technology, ETH Zurich remains committed to fostering open collaboration, sharing expertise, and nurturing the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers. With initiatives like Q-City in Bengaluru and the ETH Quantum Center in Zurich, a global network of quantum innovation is taking shape, one that connects continents, accelerates knowledge exchange, and drives technological transformation for a sustainable future.

In the latest episode of We Are ETH, host Susan Kish speaks with ETH alumni Sue Tobler (Physics) and Remo Gisi (Computer Science), the creative forces behind Tastelab. The Tastelab is a Zurich-based culinary studio where data, algorithms, and physics come together to reinvent plant-based gastronomy. What began as a curiosity-driven experiment has grown into a pioneering business that blends scientific precision with sensory storytelling.

“At ETH, we learned to think in systems,” says Sue. “Now, instead of equations and particles, we work with flavours, textures, and emotions but the mindset is the same. It’s still about understanding how things interact and how small changes can create something completely new.”

At Tastelab, Sue and Remo treat cooking as both an art and an experiment. They use data analysis, sensory testing, and physical modelling to perfect each dish. For them, food is a medium where algorithms can guide intuition and physics shapes taste. “A recipe,” Remo explains, “is really just an algorithm, a process that solves the problem of flavour.” Their approach to algorithmic cooking and heat-transfer-informed design turns each plate into a data-driven yet deeply human creation, proving that precision and play can beautifully coexist.

Sustainability lies at the heart of their work, but not in the way it’s often portrayed. Since 2020, Tastelab has gone fully plant-based, a decision born not from restriction but from curiosity. “We don’t want to preach sustainability,” Sue notes. “We want people to fall in love with it — to taste how good the future can be.” Their philosophy is simple: lead by inspiration, not obligation. Whether they’re crafting a plant-based foie gras or developing new techniques to mimic the texture of fish, their dishes highlight what’s possible when creativity and conscience meet science.

Their years at ETH Zurich gave them not only the technical foundation but also the courage to experiment and build something new. Sue recalls her student days as formative:

“Organizing student events taught us to improvise, to lead, and to learn fast. It’s the same now — running Tastelab is one long, fascinating experiment.” Remo adds, “ETH taught us to never stop iterating. Whether it’s code or cuisine, it’s about testing, failing, and improving repeatedly.”

For both, moving from corporate jobs to entrepreneurship wasn’t a leap of risk but a natural continuation of curiosity. “At some point,” Remo shares, “you realize that waiting for the perfect idea is pointless. You start with what you have, experiment, and learn your way forward.”

Their advice to young innovators is clear: follow your curiosity, even when it takes you off the beaten path. “If something excites you,” Sue says, “there will be a way to make it work and if there isn’t, create one.”

From pop-up gastronomy to bespoke dining experiences, Tastelab is redefining the future of food, one data-driven dish at a time. With every experiment, Sue and Remo invite people to taste science, experience sustainability, and rediscover joy through flavour.

Listen to the full episode of We Are ETH to hear how Sue Tobler and Remo Gisi are turning algorithms into aromas and curiosity into cuisine.

My name is Remo Gisi. I graduated in theoretical computer science and distributed systems at ETH Zürich in 2012. In 2016, I co-founded the ETH spinoff company Tastelab.

Tastelab works in the intersection of food and science where we do a wide variety of projects from high-end caterings and restaurant projects to art collaborations and consulting work.

Our recent project “Cook the Science” is a collaboration initiated by Prof. Dr. Thomas Michaels, an ETH professor specialising in soft and living matter. (www.ethz.ch/cookthescience)

Designed as a free public lecture series, Cook the Science invites chefs and culinary experts to ETH to talk about their area of expertise. Each one-hour lecture features an ETH professor and a chef and focuses on one specific topic that is relevant in cooking every day. Be it caramelisation or gelation, fermentation or crystallisation: Complex chemical and biological processes build the basics for the most mundane cooking processes.

To the Cook the Science audience, one thing is immediately apparent: cooking is always applied science. Every time we are in our kitchen, we “do” physics, chemistry, biology. In our kitchen, we all have a “lab” at home, even if we don’t necessarily know it!

The context of cooking is one that we all know and can relate to. It makes scientific insights understandable and easy to apply, and once it makes our food tastier and our recipes succeed more easily, there can be no doubt that science is very relevant indeed.

In my opinion, cooking is the ideal context for science outreach and communication – and the success of the Cook the Science series seems to confirm this! Since its beginnings in fall 2024, each Cook the Science lecture was fully booked. Many of the Cook the Science guests are at ETH for the first time, which is great – and also a frequent source for either amusement or compassion when first-timers are lost in the maze of ETH main building…

In addition to the full auditorium, many thousand YouTube visitors view the Cook the Science lectures online. In a way, this makes Cook the Science one of our most influential projects to date, one where we’re not creating exclusive experiences for the select few but get to share our enthusiasm for science (and cooking!) with thousands of people from many different backgrounds.

Naturally, this is also a great motivation to go on with the Cook the Science journey! The lectures as we know them are scheduled to continue for the next couple of years. Also, we might expand Cook the Science into other formats to reach yet more people!

If you’d like to know about future Cook the Science events, follow Cook the Science on Instagram to hear the latest news and announcements.

And, of course, if you want to stay informed about Tastelab’s other adventures in the domains of cooking and science, follow us on our channels as well! (We are on Instagram and on Facebook, and we do send out Newsletters occasionally.)

I’m looking forward to meeting you at our future projects!