The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Québec (PINQ²), along with IBM, has announced the “inauguration” of an IBM Quantum System One at IBM Bromont.
The installation of the quantum computer marks a major step of the Québec-IBM Discovery Accelerator, which launched in February 2022 with a focus on quantum computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and high-performance computing.
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IBM says the Quantum System One is the first integrated quantum system with a compact design optimized for stability, reliability and continuous use. It has been deployed at a number of sites across the world, including Germany, Japan, the United States, and now in Canada.
According to IBM, the system’s “utility-scale 127-qubit processor will offer improved coherence times as well as lower error rates over previous IBM quantum systems.”
PINQ² is a non-profit organization founded in 2020 by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec and the Université de Sherbrooke with a mandate to operationalize the powerful computing infrastructure in the province by combining classical, quantum, and hybrid technologies.
IBM announced in July that it had tapped PINQ² to be the exclusive operator of the quantum computer upon its installation, with the intention to use its computing power to explore complex global sustainability challenges, as well as opportunities in financial services.
In addition to having access to an IBM Quantum System One, PINQ² will be able to offer businesses and academics access to a full range of hybrid quantum computing services.
With this offering, those with access will be able to assess the potential of digital and quantum technologies within their existing processes, with an emphasis on specific sectors such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, the environment, and sustainable development.
“This is a showcase for Québec, which will be recognized as a force in quantum sciences, but also in international sustainable development,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Québec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy.
Image courtesy of IBM