Stephanie Wehner, Director of the European Quantum Internet Alliance and Professor here at QuTech, has been honoured with the Körber European Science Prize, one of Europe’s most prestigious scientific awards.

Valued at €1 million, the prize recognises Wehner’s groundbreaking research in developing the quantum internet—an ultra-secure, ultra-fast network that that will enable entirely new applications and computing possibilities.

Wehner’s most recent innovation, QNodeOS, the world’s first operating system designed specifically for quantum networks, marks an important step in this direction. The operating system facilitates quantum application development by for the first time allowing diverse quantum devices to interconnect seamlessly – all without specialised quantum knowledge.

With the Körber prize, Wehner and her team will expand their pioneering work. By 2030, Wehner aims to connect metropolitan quantum networks across Europe, strengthening Europe’s leading position in quantum technologies and fostering innovation in digital business models.

The Körber European Science Prize will be officially awarded on September 19, 2025, at Hamburg City Hall as part of the Hamburg Science Summit. You can read their announcement here.