The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec is Proud to Announce the Historic Inauguration of an IBM Quantum System One in Bromont

The commissioning of Quebec's quantum computer consolidates the province's leadership position, promotes research, develops talent and makes Quebec a worldwide benchmark for sustainable development

BROMONT, QC, Sept. 22, 2023 /CNW/ - The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec (PINQ²), a non-profit organization (NPO) founded in 2020 by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec (MEIE - Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie du Québec) and the Université de Sherbrooke, along with IBM, is proud to announce the historic inauguration of an IBM Quantum System One in Bromont. This event marks a major turning point for the IT sector and all innovation sectors of Quebec, as PINQ² is the sole administrator to inaugurate and harness an IBM Quantum System One on Canadian territory. To date, it is one of the most advanced quantum systems within IBM's worldwide fleet of quantum computers.

This new quantum computer in Quebec reinforces Quebec's and Canada's position as a force in the rapidly advancing field of quantum computing, opening new prospects for the technological future of the province and the country. Access to this technology is a considerable asset not only for the ecosystem of DistriQ, the quantum innovation zone for Quebec, but also for the Technum Québec innovation zone, the new "Energy Transition Valley" innovation zone and other strategic sectors for Quebec.

In addition to having access to an IBM Quantum System One, the high-performance computing centre (HPC) set up at the Humano District in Sherbrooke will enable PINQ² to offer a hybrid computing approach. This technological capability will provide businesses with a unique opportunity to access a full range of hybrid quantum computing service. PINQ² offers businesses an easy and seamless experience to assess the potential of digital and quantum technologies and innovations within their existing processes, with an emphasis on specific sectors such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, the environment and sustainable development.

"Today, Quebec is taking a giant step forward in a strategic sector of the future. The arrival of IBM's quantum computer sends out a clear message: the work we are doing in our DistriQ innovation zone in Sherbrooke and Technum Québec in Bromont shows that Quebec has the talent and know-how to become one of the world leaders in quantum sciences." said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for Greater Montreal and the Montreal Region.

As part of the partnership between PINQ² and IBM announced in July 2023, the two organizations will lead a world-class quantum working group dedicated to exploring quantum computing to develop solutions to sustainability challenges. This working group will be supported by the valuable contributions of founding members; Hydro-Québec and the Université de Sherbrooke through its Institut Quantique.

"Within the context of the ongoing transitions in the energy and digital fields, the energy sector currently requires ever more powerful computing capabilities for research and development or the implementation of various applications, and these needs will be increasing rapidly over the coming years," added Christian Bélanger, Senior Director, Research and Innovation, Hydro-Quebec. "As a research centre already working on facing the challenges of the energy transition, we are convinced that quantum technologies such as PINQ²'s offer promising prospects for the future and will be of considerable value in terms of technological and energy solutions for Hydro-Quebec. Indeed, we intend to explore and harness this potential as these technologies mature."

"The objective of DistriQ is to create the world's largest commercial quantum research infrastructure", explained Richard St-Pierre, General Manager, DistriQ, Sherbrooke's Quantum Innovation Zone. "PINQ²'s hybrid quantum computer is a unique and powerful asset that will allow the Innovation Zone's companies to reach their objectives; we are very proud of this partnership."

PINQ² is currently the only entity to offer access to an IBM Quantum System One situated in Canada, and PINQ² positions Quebec as the only other place in the world, outside of the United States, to be engaged in an IBM Discovery Accelerator associated with its own high-performance computing infrastructure and a quantum computer entirely dedicated to research and industrial innovation.

"Quantum computing is accelerating at a rapid pace. This is in large part due to a growing global ecosystem that continues to push the boundaries of what is possible," said Jay Gambetta, Vice President, IBM Quantum. "Our partnership with PINQ2 to deploy an IBM Quantum System One in Quebec, Canada marks a significant milestone in quantum technological and scientific progress, and enables the region's strong culture of innovation and talent to help extend the frontiers of quantum computing's potential."

PINQ² is also proud to announce the creation of its Centre of Excellence, which aims to accelerate the adoption of quantum technologies through the democratizing of companies' and researchers' access to PINQ²'s infrastructures. The Centre of Excellence will support a community dedicated to the quantum software field by facilitating dynamic use, creation, and collaboration, all while establishing best practices in software engineering. In order to democratize the quantum sector, the Centre of Excellence will develop into a platform offering opportunities for training, collaborative work with universities and industry, as well as open source algorithm development. L'École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS - School of Advanced Technology), as the first partner of this initiative, will provide the community with a team of researchers working on democratizing best practices in quantum software.

"At PINQ², our passion for digital and quantum innovation is our driving force", stated Éric Capelle, General Manager of PINQ². The inauguration of the IBM Quantum System One quantum computer marks a historic turning point for Quebec and for Canada. We are proud to play a key role in this technological revolution."

"In addition to this news, PINQ² is accelerating the services it offers to companies. We are associated with a network of academic partners such as IVADO, the Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Saskatchewan, the Quantum Algorithms Institute and Concordia University in order to collaborate with the industry and train quantum talents."

"We are also proud to announce the creation of a multidisciplinary team in order to accelerate the development of quantum business solutions through the Centre of Excellence for hybrid quantum software engineering, as well as the deployment on our platform of a first curriculum dedicated to professionals and made available to PINQ² customers."

The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation is a non-profit organization created by the Université de Sherbrooke and the ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie du Québec (Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec) in 2020. Its mission is to support organizations in accelerating their digital transformation, to enhance collaboration, and to simplify technology transfers between industries and research, in addition to training the talents of tomorrow.

Quantum computing is an emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve certain problems that today's most powerful supercomputers cannot resolve in a practical manner. IBM 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, in Germany, Japan, the United States and now in Canada. Its 127-qubit processor will offer improved consistency times and lower error rates than previous IBM quantum systems.

SOURCE Plateforme d'innovation numérique et quantique du Québec