The Quebec Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform adds to its service offering the capabilities of the first IBM quantum system one computer, the design and approach of which represent a unique formula in the world on several levels.
Operationalized by the Quebec Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform (PINQ²), the new quantum computing offer intended for SMEs, large companies, institutions and other organizations enhances existing high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and digital learning
Montreal, January 23, 2023 – The Quebec Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform (PINQ²), a non-profit organization (NPO) founded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec (MEIE) and the University of Sherbrooke in 2020, underlines that Quebec will operate the 5th IBM Quantum System One in the world from the second half of 2023. This new infrastructure will offer affordable services to companies, institutions and organizations active in digital technologies, thus facilitating synergies between academic and industrial forces in order to help them in the rapid development and progression of projects and solutions with the potential to transform their respective sectors as well as society.
The Quebec Quantum Computer, based on the 127-qubit Quantum System One architecture developed by IBM, will be operationalized by PINQ2, whose mission is to accelerate the digital transformation of Quebec businesses and organizations, while providing support to businesses in Quebec. elsewhere, thanks to a secure and sovereign service offering, compatible with industrial standards. The cutting-edge, hybrid infrastructure technology operated by PINQ2 will include several components, including quantum computing, high performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), advanced data analytics, as well as software. simulation for different domains.
With Quebec at the heart of a vast digital shift, the commissioning of this quantum computer will help Quebec companies anticipate this new technological breakthrough and turn it into a competitive advantage. When Quantum System One comes into operation in the second part of 2023, in Bromont, its high technology and computing power will not only represent a revolution for various fields, but will also bring the potential for significant breakthroughs responding to current global and social challenges.
The presence of this computer on the territory will not only be greatly useful to companies that already have in-depth knowledge of quantum, but will also be a fantastic opportunity for the Quebec ecosystem to train and develop its knowledge in order to create value for the region. help of quantum technologies.
“A ‘before’ and an ‘after’”
The inauguration of the PINQ² offer took place in the presence of Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Jay Gambetta, director of quantum at IBM, representatives of the Institut Quantique, as well as numerous other industrial, financial and academic partners.
“Thanks to this quantum computer, we can really say that there will be a ‘before’ and an ‘after,’” said Éric Capelle, general director of PINQ2. We join a very small global group with access to such sophisticated technology that will generate a multitude of discoveries and breakthroughs over the years. The launch of this new service offering marks a transformative milestone. This is a remarkable new chapter. »
“This represents a major advance in our technological capabilities and our technological know-how, which we will use to resolve societal challenges, whether in terms of climate, health, energy or markets, explained Gaël Humbert, director, business development and strategy at PINQ2. This is an important step in the technological evolution of the province, which will have repercussions in several fields here as well as on the national and international scene. With this quantum computer, a new era awaits us. »
“The PINQ2 platform is expected to play a key role in digital transformation in Quebec. Thanks to its cutting-edge computing infrastructures and its expertise, companies will be able to carry out innovative research and development projects, which will contribute to their productivity and the competitiveness of Quebec,” underlined Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
An exclusive and sovereign offer
PINQ² will be the only platform on Canadian soil to be able to operate Quantum System One, the 5th quantum computer of this generation in the world, all in partnership with IBM. It is worth mentioning that Quebec will be the only place in the world, outside the United States, to have an accelerator of scientific discoveries, in addition to its own HPC infrastructure and a latest generation quantum computer. entirely dedicated to research and industrial innovation.
Thanks to PINQ2's unique infrastructure, companies will be able to benefit from data sovereignty and confidentiality. Indeed, as soon as it comes into operation during the second half of 2023, the data generated by this quantum computer on Canadian territory will remain in the country and will not be stored elsewhere. The use of quantum computing through PINQ2 will be aligned with industry-leading security standards, while ensuring data and intellectual property sovereignty.
By the second half of 2023, the partnership between PINQ2 and IBM allows the use of an IBM quantum computer located in the United States to immediately serve Quebec and Canadian customers. The work will then be transferred to this new quantum computer in Quebec in order to take full advantage of the sovereignty of the data produced here.
Focus on three niches and the discovery accelerator
Although offering its services to several areas, PINQ2 seeks above all to support projects focused on three major issues affecting the world and society in general, namely climate change and the development of solutions that can slow down these changes and help the population. to adapt, the development of clean and renewable energy resources and systems that can meet growing needs, as well as health research to accelerate the discovery of new treatments and drugs. The Quebec Quantum Computer will therefore play a major role for our collective future.
As for commercial aspects, at the same time, the Quebec Quantum Computer will also provide significant support to businesses thanks to the Quebec-IBM discovery accelerator, which will accelerate the design phases and reduce the time between projects. innovations tested in laboratory conditions and their arrival on the market, all resulting from a collaborative program between universities and companies serving to propel technological transfers.
“As a founding partner of PINQ2, the University of Sherbrooke is delighted with the launch of this unique service offering which will help support Quebec companies in high-performance computing and quantum applications, in particular thanks to the partnership with our renowned Quantum Institute world, declared Professor Pierre Cossette, rector of the University of Sherbrooke. PINQ2 perfectly embodies the partnership model that characterizes our university. Like our institution, in collaboration with the entire Quebec academic network, PINQ2 will contribute to training a highly qualified next generation, capable of meeting the needs of organizations, across Quebec. »
The Quebec discovery accelerator will be the second in North America, following the one based in the United States in California and which has already contributed to numerous breakthroughs. The Quebec program will therefore also contribute to discoveries by focusing on the optimization of complex algorithms, ranging from the modeling of innovative materials to the micro-depth analysis of genes, including theoretical simulations.
“Triple A”, a unique collaborative approach
In order to accelerate digital transformation and support Quebec companies, PINQ² has developed a one-stop collaborative approach, called “Triple A”, which aims to structure the service strategy. The Triple A approach is made up of three pillars aimed at the long-term autonomy of the companies that will receive support, namely:
Enable : assessment of needs, clear definition of targets and establishment of a roadmap used to activate the transformation of the process or product;
Press : provision of the technological and human resources necessary for the delivery of client initiatives;
Accelerate : support for delivery in action via the support offered by the associated PINQ² teams.
Thanks to the Triple A approach, PINQ² will offer true equal support to Quebec companies, whatever their level of digital maturity, and during each phase of their projects, ranging from ideation to marketing. Companies will be able to receive support from dedicated teams in order, for example, to seek financing for their innovations, train talents within companies or carry out research and development programs.
Fixed pricing and much more accessible quantum calculations
The Quebec Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform being a non-profit organization, its financing as well as the support of its financial partners, such as PROMPT and PRIMA, ensure that the objective of lowering the barrier of access to quantum computing as well as the best classical technologies will be facilitated, all within a formula supported by predictive pricing. In addition, the costs incurred by the calculation platform are eligible for federal and provincial funding programs.
“With regard to the use of quantum computing power, two major obstacles slow down its exploitation, that is to say the lack of awareness of the remarkable capabilities of quantum computers and the accessibility for companies seeking to benefit from them, noted Alexis Gouslisty, Chief Technology Officer of PINQ2. With the arrival of the Quebec Quantum Computer and its more affordable pricing models, we will finally be able to resolve the issue of accessibility. As for the lack of awareness of capabilities, there is still a lot of work to be done to develop the talents necessary so that our Quebec and Canadian companies can take advantage of the competitive advantage of the quantum platform. »
The establishment of a quantum computer in Quebec will also be a generator of new positions in technological and scientific fields, which will further develop Quebec's know-how in these sectors, in addition to making it a destination of choice for talents and luminaries from around the world. Therefore, the world's 5th IBM Quantum System One quantum computer will be as much a force for creation and solutions as it will be an economic engine for the province and its businesses.
“Quantum travel” competition
The Quebec Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform's mission is to democratize Quebec's classical and quantum technologies. Beyond its accessible pricing models, PINQ2 will launch a competition aimed at giving small and medium-sized Quebec businesses free access and support to the services of the Quebec Quantum Computer. Named “Quantum Journey”, this competition will allow five SMEs active in different industries to develop their ideas, projects and solutions using the power of computing and with the support of teams of experts.
PINQ2 thus wishes to contribute further to the development of Quebec's technological know-how. Details and admission conditions for this competition will follow.
About PINQ²
The Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform is a non-profit organization created by the University of Sherbrooke and the Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec in 2020. Its mission is to support organizations towards accelerated digital transformation, to increase collaboration and simplify technology transfer between industry and research, in addition to training the talents of tomorrow. The PINQ² platform, based on classical, hybrid and quantum digital solutions, is accessible to all Quebec companies and to all university academic networks and college technology transfer centers (CCTT).
Press contact
Simon Faucher
sfaucher@zonefrancherp.com
(514) 402-3873