The University of New Mexico Becomes IBM Q Hub’s First University Member

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has joined the IBM Q Hub at NC State University to become its first university member.

In 2018 NC State established the first university-based IBM Q quantum computing hub in North America. The NC State IBM Q Hub is one of several IBM quantum computing hubs worldwide. Now, membership in the Q Network will provide UNM with new opportunities in research and education that harness the cutting-edge technology at the heart of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI), a federal program that seeks to accelerate the development of quantum applications.

The global IBM Q Network is a collaboration between IBM and Fortune 500 companies, national research labs, startups, and leading universities to advance quantum computing and explore practical applications for science and business. Hubs have a unique role within the network, focused on advancing industry collaborations, learning, skill development and implementation of quantum computing.

Quantum computing has far-reaching potential for research. Exposing students, faculty and researchers across the country to this promising new field will reap benefits for NC State, UNM and IBM alike.

With membership in the IBM Q Hub, UNM will gain access to IBM’s largest quantum computing systems for commercial use cases and fundamental research. The university’s faculty and students will have the opportunity to develop and test new algorithms for quantum hardware as well as collaborate with leading-edge experimental efforts to develop and test new capabilities.

Being a member of the growing community of the IBM Q Network also allows for unique educational opportunities for UNM’s students. They will gain real-world experience in algorithm development and data analysis using state-of-the-art quantum information processors — and enter the workforce as quantum-ready graduates.

This post was originally published in NC State News.