NC State & IBM Build First University-Based IBM Q Hub in North America

(CampusTechnology) North Carolina State University recognized that it wanted to start a program to educate students on quantum computing, but it didn’t have the resources to dedicate to build and maintain its own equipment. Last year, NC State announced a partnership with IBM to get early access to the IBM Q commercial quantum computing resources for research purposes. As a result, IBM has created the first university-based IBM Q Hub in North America at NC State.
The IBM Q Network is a collaborative effort by companies, academic institutions and national research labs to further the advancement of quantum computing research. The IBM Q Hub at NC State is focused on educating students through curricula and applied research in addition to pursuing the commercial applications of the technology.
For IBM, the opportunity to work with NC State presented many benefits. The collaboration gives NC State and IBM the ability to take academic work beyond the theoretical, to look into the applications of quantum computing research. “We are taking IBM Q systems technology, putting it in the hands of researchers and working together to develop the foundational understanding to use this technology in the near future for practical purposes,” said Anthony Annunziata, IBM Q Network global leader.