Cleveland Clinic Slated to Get First On-Premises Quantum Computer in U.S.

(By Becky Bracken) The Cleveland Clinic will get the first on-premises quantum computing system in the U.S. as part of a new partnership with IBM to provide next-generation technical infrastructure for public health research.
The Cleveland Clinic Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health will be built in Cleveland, Ohio in collaboration with IBM over the next 10 years using a combination of hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing to build the infrastructure needed for big data medical research in areas including genomics, population health and drug discovery, both organizations announced.
In addition to the current iteration of IBM’s most powerful quantum computers, the IBM Quantum System One, Cleveland Clinic will also be first in line to receive the next-generation IBM 1,000+ quantum system, currently scheduled for release in 2023, an announcement launching the Center explained.
An IBM spokesman told Inside Quantum Technology, the next-gen quantum system will be installed at Cleveland Clinic in 3 to 5 years.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned one of the greatest races in the history of scientific discovery – one that demands unprecedented agility and speed,” Arvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IBM said. “At the same time, science is experiencing a change of its own – with high performance computing, hybrid cloud, data, AI, and quantum computing, being used in new ways to break through long-standing bottlenecks in scientific discovery. Our new collaboration with Cleveland Clinic will combine their world-renowned expertise in healthcare and life sciences with IBM’s next-generation technologies to make scientific discovery faster, and the scope of that discovery larger than ever.” The State of Ohio is also kicking in $500 million in seed money through its Cleveland Innovation District to help grow the economy by attracting business, incubating start-ups, and bringing skilled jobs to the area.
“The Cleveland Innovation District creates partnerships across different sectors of the economy and positions Ohio as a competitive place to invest in,” Governor Mike DeWine said in January about the public investment. “Each of the Cleveland Innovation District partners bring unique skills and areas of expertise. Having these institutions partner together will help Ohio emerge as a leader in healthcare and IT nationally and globally.”
The Cleveland Clinic Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health is led by Jae Jung, Ph.D., an expert in virology, virus-produced cancers. According to Cleveland Clinic, the Center plans to bring on an additional 300 scientists in the next 5 or so years.