Alumni network

Since joining the BizTech Group at the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) in 2025, Chee Chong Hian has been focused on translating quantum technologies from the research laboratories into real-world applications. He finds the broader scope of his work rewarding. “I’m exploring dimensions of technology that go far beyond my PhD research,” he says.

Chee completed his PhD at CQT in 2024 with a thesis on “Resource-Efficient Quantum Algorithms for Quantum Chemistry”. His new role aligns with his interest in bridging deep research and industry use.

At the BizTech Group, Chee tracks new developments, prototypes emerging quantum technologies, and assesses their relevance for Singapore’s industries. Working with teammates across domains such as communications, artificial intelligence, and robotics, he often plays a “technical translator” role, helping colleagues and industry partners understand how quantum advances could be applied in real-world settings. He also supports engagement with industry by identifying opportunities for collaboration and adoption.

“When we make technology assessments, we prioritise quantum capabilities that could strengthen Singapore’s competitive edge, and channel leading research into applications that benefit industry at scale. Communicating the tangible impacts of these capabilities is a skill I honed during my PhD,” says Chee. He was supervised at CQT by Principal Investigator Dimitris Angelakis.

Former CQT Research Assistant Nayanthara Prathap is now a Software Engineer at Atomionics, a Singapore-based startup building quantum sensing systems for navigation and exploration. She works on the company’s gravimeter, Gravio, developing the software interface that communicates with the hardware, sending experiment parameters and collecting measurement data.“You should be able to click a button on the user interface which manipulates the hardware components and does measurements, all with nanosecond precision,” she says.

She finds it exciting to be building a product and likes that tight timeframes keep her on her toes. She says the team’s support, being adaptable and staying open to learning have been important as she navigates her new role.

Nayanthara first met her now colleagues at a Quantum Qareer Day organised by the National Quantum Office, SGInnovate and CQT. Speaking to them, she learned they were looking for people with her skillset. She credits her experience working on quantum algorithms in the group of CQT Principal Patrick Rebentrost for laying the foundations.

She says, “I was able to experiment and pick up best practices in coding for algorithm development. Because the collaborative spirit at CQT is amazing, I was not intimidated to ask questions and learn about quantum physics to know what I was coding for.” Nayanthara’s journey into the quantum industry started when she joined a Quantum Bootcamp organised by the National Quantum Computing Hub, Softserve and CQT in 2023 while she was a Masters student at the National University of Singapore’s School of Computing. After completing the Bootcamp and graduating, she interned at CQT for eight months before becoming a Research Assistant in 2024.