IBM Quantum

In this vendor showdown talk, Antonio Corcoles of IBM Quantum argues that quantum computing has reached its inflection point, presenting recent results achieved with collaborators in the UK and Switzerland: validation on quantum hardware of strong electron correlations in a molecule assembled atom by atom with STM and AFM, reproduction of neutron scattering results for a potassium copper fluoride compound at far lower cost and expertise than the original experiments, and, with Cleveland Clinic, simulation workflows reaching a molecule of more than 12,000 atoms using a new algorithm. Corcoles outlines IBM's reference architecture for quantum-HPC integration, designed to extend rather than redefine existing HPC layers: a compute layer built around IBM's quantum runtime with HPC scale-out capabilities, an orchestration layer developed as open-source community software, the Qiskit SDK as the programming model, and application layers aimed at lowering the entry barrier for users. He anticipates an evolution from today's loosely coupled quantum-HPC demonstrations toward tight integration requiring architectural co-design over the next decade. In the question round, he predicts a demonstration of precisely defined quantum advantage this year while noting that classical methods repeatedly catch up with quantum breakthroughs, explains that low latency in the software stack matters where real-time classical co-compute supports error correction, states that IBM's planned end-of-decade fault-tolerant system has a well-defined data center footprint comparable to or smaller than large HPC installations with much lower energy consumption, and describes workforce development through partner collaborations, university programs, and Qiskit training.