IBM Q Hub at IQ First virtual Open house event

IBM Q Hub at Institut quantique (IQ) held its first Virtual Open House event on Wednesday, October 21. More than 300 people from a 100 organizations representing the private sector, government agencies and academia joined the webinar. It was an opportunity to dive deeper in quantum computing and quantum programming. Here’s a look back at the special day event organized by the IBM Q Hub at IQ.

IQ’s Scientific Director, Prof. Alexandre Blais, sums up the day’s objectives:

“We are training the talent that will be able to use quantum computers, and we also have a mandate to raise public awareness related to technological issues in quantum sciences. Today’s webinar meets this double objective: to introduce organizations and the people who manage them to quantum computing while contributing, through training workshops, to improve knowledge in quantum programming.”

This IBM Q hub at IQ supports the development and implementation of quantum computing by offering its members cloud-based access to IBM’s quantum computing systems and access to an international scientific community of users.

Claude Guay, IBM Canada’s CEO and general manager, illustrates the company’s involvement in this partnership:

“Our IBM Q Hub at Institut quantique is another excellent example of this partnership that will stimulate Canadian innovation. The important role played by our academic institutions cannot be overlooked. Supporting the educators who are training the next generation of quantum computing innovators is critical to the success of our mission.”

Quantum science at the Université de Sherbrooke

The Université de Sherbrooke is becoming more and more prominent in the field of quantum technology. This strategic commitment to invest in quantum technology goes back more than 40 years.

The Rector of Université de Sherbrooke, Prof. Pierre Cossette, spoke at the opening of the event:

“We want our fundamental research to quickly translate into opportunities that serve the population and society. We see developments in quantum science in all our faculties, but also in all spheres of social activity. For us, it has the potential for significant economic impact. IBM Q is another partnership that enhances the Université de Sherbrooke’s contribution to society. It is a way to position our cutting-edge research that will help our companies in the future.”

The panel brought together experts from IBM Q, 1QBit, CMC Microsystems and Prof. Stefanos Kourtis, holder of the Chair in Quantum Computing at the Université de Sherbrooke. The panel showcased different perspectives around quantum computing in Canada, including research, the importance of building an inclusive community and its potential to address contemporary challenges such as climate change (https://q4climate.github.io/ ). The afternoon was devoted to workshops on quantum computing and quantum programming offered by Maxime Dion and Jean Frédéric Laprade, both quantum computing developers at IQ.

The day concluded with a presentation of a case study on quantum optimization, presented by Stefan Woerner, IBM Research Global Head of Quantum Finance and Optimization / Member of the Quantum Technologies Group of the Science & Technology Department of IBM Research in Zurich.

Judging by comments from participants, the webinar lived up to expectations.

“Congratulations on today’s [Virtual Open House of the IBM Q Hub] event at IQ. Very impressive and motivating, a lot of preparation work went in! “Jean-François Bruneau, Partnership Advisor at CIRRELT (Interuniversity Research Center for Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation), IVADO.