Ask me anything: Kiefer Vermeulen – ‘We had to figure everything out on a shoestring budget and on a really challenging timescale’

Kiefer Vermeulen, a quantum engineer, studied applied physics at Delft University of Technology and completed his master's thesis at its QuTech research institute. At Delft Circuits, where he currently works as head of research, he leads a team of quantum engineers who develop cabling and wiring for quantum-based devices. Given the company's small budget, Vermeulen must condense problems into manageable work packages and communicate complex ideas to non-experts.

For him, the most enjoyable aspect of his job is innovation, particularly developing new technology from scratch due to limited resources. Conversely, he finds fundraising challenging and the overwhelming volume of emails demanding. Vermeulen advises aspiring professionals to prioritize communication, trust, and patience in problem-solving.