Mikko Möttönen selected as finalist for the European Inventor Award 2026

According to the European Commission, by 2040, the quantum sector is expected to create thousands of highly skilled jobs across the EU and exceed a global value of €155 billion. A recent study on quantum technology by the European Patent Office and the OECD highlighted that the number of international patent families (IPFs) – a set of patent applications filed in several countries for the same invention – in quantum increased five-fold in just the last decade. 

However, the sector is still in an early stage of technological maturity with limited commercialisation to date, reflecting how difficult these machines are to operate reliably outside laboratory conditions. Unlike conventional computers, which process information using bits that are either on or off, quantum computers use quantum bits, known as qubits, whose quantum states enable new types of calculations but are easily disrupted.

To preserve these fragile quantum states, systems must be operated at temperatures close to absolute zero, where even minute amounts of unwanted energy can affect performance. Academy Professor Mikko Möttönen from Aalto University's Department of Applied Physics has developed a cryogenic microwave sensor that allows engineers to detect and measure tiny power leaks and sources of electromagnetic interference inside quantum computing systems. 

By making such disturbances visible at ultra-low temperatures, the device helps engineers diagnose problems and improve the reliability of quantum hardware. For this work, Möttönen has been selected as a finalist in the ‘Research’ category of the European Inventor Award 2026 by an independent jury.

Measuring quantum signals without disturbance

Conventional measurement instruments can struggle to accurately capture the extremely weak signals emitted by quantum systems in these conditions, as they introduce additional heat or noise, disturbing the system they are meant to observe. 

Möttönen’s solution is a cryogenic analyser based on an ultra-sensitive bolometer, which acts as a highly precise power meter for microwaves. Using superconducting materials, it measures the tiny amount of heat generated by incoming signals while minimising disturbance to the quantum system. A built-in self-calibration mechanism allows the analyser to check its own accuracy without relying on external reference sources, helping engineers reliably identify radiation leakage and electromagnetic interference.

'From 2027 onwards, we expect quantum computing to begin solving real industrial problems, first in limited use cases but then expanding, for example, to optimisation, whether routing ships or improving logistics,' Möttönen says.

From fundamental research to quantum diagnostics

Möttönen’s work originated in long-term research at Aalto University, supported by successive European Research Council grants and funding from the Academy of Finland. While initially focused on developing ultra-sensitive bolometers for fundamental research, his team realised that these devices could also diagnose the tiny power leaks and noise that disrupt quantum hardware. This technology has since been applied in quantum computing setups to read out qubit states, detect stray radiation and improve system performance.

'In an emerging field like quantum computing, you must protect your inventions to maintain a competitive edge. Quantum computers are incredibly complex machines; by the time they are commercially available, they will be built on a foundation of a huge number of individual patents,' Möttönen says.

Möttönen is one of three finalists in the ‘Research’ category of the European Inventor Award 2026. The European Patent Office will announce the winners during a ceremony livestreamed from Berlin on 2 July, 2026. 

More about the 2026 awards here: https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award

The European Inventor Award is one of Europe's most prestigious innovation prizes. Launched by the EPO in 2006, the award honours individuals and teams, who have come up with solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time. The European Inventor Award jury consists of inventors who are all former finalists. To judge proposals, the independent panel draws on their wealth of technical, business, and intellectual property expertise. All inventors must have been granted a European patent for their invention. Read more here on the various categories, prizes, selection criteria and livestream ceremony to be held on 2 July in Berlin.    

More information:

Roberta Romano-Götsch   
EPO spokesperson  
EPO press desk: press@epo.org