IBM and RPI launch a new quantum computer in New York

IBM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have launched a quantum computer at RPI’s campus in New York. A chapel that the university repurposed in the 1960s, the quantum computer is be positioned next to a stained glass window and serves as a focal point of RPI’s new Curtis Priem Quantum Constellation, a research center funded by Nvidia co-founder and a graduate of RPI, Curtis Priem.

In a statement, IBM said the new System One expands the company’s global fleet of quantum computers operating at this level, which includes systems in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Japan, in addition to installations currently in progress in South Korea and Spain.

“For the first time in history, an entirely new branch of computing is being developed with quantum technology. This is not something we can do alone,” said Dario Gil, IBM senior vice president and director of research, and RPI board member.

“It is fundamental that IBM works with our global ecosystem of partners, including world-renowned universities and research institutions such as RPI, to discover and map new algorithms to the most difficult challenges that quantum computers can solve. We will do this by fostering a quantum workforce of the future and ensuring that the next generation is equipped with the skills to use these systems to their fullest potential.”