Third Google Quantum Fellowship for Berlin Team
Franz Josef Schreiber conducts research at the Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems. © studioline (Background AI generated)
Another researcher from Berlin has earned international recognition in quantum computing. Franz Josef Schreiber, a doctoral candidate at Freie Universität Berlin, has been selected for the 2026 Google PhD Fellowship in Quantum Computing.
The fellowship supports outstanding doctoral researchers whose work advances computer science and related fields. Candidates are selected from universities around the world, including institutions such as MIT, the University of Oxford and the University of California, Berkeley. Freie Universität Berlin remains the only German university whose researchers have been chosen for the program in the field of quantum computing.
Schreiber conducts his research at the Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems in the group led by quantum physicist Jens Eisert. His work focuses on the intersection of quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Among other topics, he studies the properties of quantum states, explores how quantum computer models could improve AI systems, and investigates under which conditions quantum computers may outperform conventional computers in solving optimization problems.
The latest award is particularly notable because it is the third Google PhD Fellowship in Quantum Computing awarded to a member of Eisert’s research group. Previous recipients were Elies Gil-Fuster in 2023 and Antonio Mele in 2025.
The achievement also highlights Berlin’s strength in deep tech. Quantum technologies are a key focus area of Berlin’s Deep Tech Strategy, supported by a strong ecosystem of research groups, startups and innovation initiatives across the city.