Quantum Computing for Industrial Applications

Photo of IBM quantum computer
Image © IBM

A new white paper from the SEQUOIA project reports on the results of case studies it conducted and offers insights that will benefit companies and quantum software developers.

Quantum computing could offer great opportunities for industry, but because the technology is so new, work is still needed to identify the most promising applications and to develop the software needed to program quantum systems and integrate them into hybrid computing workflows.

As part of a collaborative research project called SEQUOIA — one of six projects within the national competence center Quantum Computing Baden Württemberg — the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) has been working with Fraunhofer IAO and other partners to lay a groundwork for the use of quantum computing systems in industry. In a new white paper titled Quantencomputing in der industriellen Applikation (Quantum Computing for Industrial Applications, published in German) the SEQUOIA team provides a wide-ranging overview of the subject, including descriptions of current hardware and software, overviews of commonly used algorithms, and case studies from industry.

The white paper provides an accessible introduction to quantum computing, and offers companies and quantum software developers insights into the opportunities that this new technology could offer. Based on research, development, and testing of quantum applications and algorithms carried out during the project, the publication describes six industrial case studies from the fields of logistics, energy, and manufacturing, and provides a best practices model for developing quantum software in close collaboration with industry partners.

In a press release, Fraunhofer IAO also announced the recent launch of a new follow-up project to SEQUOIA called SEQUOIA End-to-End. One of five collaborative research projects funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism, SEQUOIA End-to-End will build on the results of the first SEQUOIA project to focus on the development of transparent quantum software engineering and algorithm design, with the goal of producing user-centered, end-to-end solutions. HLRS will continue to participate in the second phase of the project.

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SEQUOIA project

SEQUOIA Project to Bring Quantum Computing to Industry