Quantum technology & computing

Workforce Development and Advocacy


IBM Quantum is an industry first initiative to build universal quantum computers for business, engineering and science. Driving innovation in this exciting field means advancing the entire quantum computing technology stack and exploring the applications of quantum computing. To create an healthy and self sustainable ecosystem around this technology, it is also key to develop a diverse and inclusive global community made of researchers, students, developers, decision makers and enthusiasts. At IBM, we strongly believe that creating an open community is fundamental for the future of the quantum computing ecosystem including the future quantum-ready workforce. Therefore, we have created an entire team, the Quantum Community Team whose activities range from creation of educational content (the Qiskit textbook, courses, seminar series, quantum games, etc.), to organization of events (hackathon, summer schools, unconferences, seminars, meetup, etc), including also the development of global programs (internship program, researchers program, educators program, advocates program, etc) and the support to the local academic community as well as national and international initiatives.

At IBM Research in Zurich, the IBM Quantum Community Team tailors the community’s activities to the European and African ecosystem.

Quantum game

Quantum hackathon

Mission

Community

Build a broad and open community of quantum enthusiasts, students, researchers and developers through a broad range of activities including events such as hackathons, meet-ups, game jams, etc and social media engament on platforms such as slack, linkedin or twitter.

Education

Provide a large variety of educational resources to a diverse (in terms of background and knowledge level) audience (from high schoolers to young professionals) to develop the future quantum workforce. Support and collaborate with key national and international institutions in high-impact projects.

Outreach

Raise awarness about quantum computing and Qiskit among the general public via workshops, lectures but also interviews, panel discussions and social media activities. Increasing the IBM Quantum presence in any relevant venue (technical conferences, media, academic ecosystem).

Advocacy

Enable researchers, educators, developers to adopt Qiskit as tool for research, education thanks to tailored programs. Keep the open-source ecosystem healthy and active while improving the user experience. Providing support and infrastructure to turn users into super users.

How to get started

The first steps in a new field, in particular in a technical field such as quantum computing, are always the hardest and can discourage. This is why it is very important to pick carefully the learning resources to use. Everyone can learn quantum computing! You just need find the right approach to the field tailored to your background and level of knowledge. At IBM we constatnly develop new educational content and resources for people of every level of knowledge. Consider this section as an info point for guiding you through the ocean of content out there.

  • For the very first steps of a non-technical audience, the right place to explore is this page
  • For learning with a Quantum Game, play Hello Qiskit
  • For a hands-on experience suitable for every level of knowledge, register here
  • For a deep dive into a Quantum Computing practical guide which spans a broad range of contents, from the motivations to the applications, immerse yourself in our textbook
  • For people who are looking for a more personalized learning experience, the landing page is here
  • For video lovers, navigate through our YouTube channel
  • For people who want to earn a certification and add another shiny medal to their CV, we have realeased the developer certification
  • For many other resources, Githubis the place for you

How to get involved

If you want to hear more about quantum computing at IBM and joining our events, then you should join the IBM Quantum Community. To get involved there are several things you can do:

Quantum meetup

Tailored Programs

For educators

If you want to teach using Qiskit and the IBM Quantum Computers available on the cloud and you want grant access to more Quantum backends, saving some kew-time and having other advantages for your students, the Educators Program is the offer we have crafted for you.

For researchers

If you have a research project in mind and you want to have access to more IBM Quantum backends and saving some kew-time, among other advantages, the Researchers Program is the program you are looking for.

For developers

The IBM Qiskit Developer certification is the first-ever certification program for quantum computing.
Qiskit is a very welcoming open source community where you can learn about computing computing while contributing to the project in our github repos.

For quantum ethusiasts

If you want to be an active member of the Qiskit Community , the Qiskit Advocate Program is a global program designed for people like you.

Qiskit Textbook

The Qiskit textbook is one of the most content-robust, free resources for learning quantum computing. It has become more of a learning platform than a standard textbook. It includes interactive components, progress tracking, running inline code, etc. You may find courses such as summer schools, learning paths and freely available materials to enhance the courses of university teachers.
Take a look for yourself here. We hope to continue to grow and expand both the content and the platform in a way that fosters a community of learners that will someday be the future workforce of quantum computing. Stay tuned.

Textbook

Qiskit Documentation

The Qiskit Documentation is the right place for you if you are looking for the installation guide, release notes, or API references. Navigate here to see how Qiskit is structured, explore what tools are contained in each of the modules and check out the tutorials which include a range of Jupyter notebooks that cover a range of features and applications including circuits, algorithms, and applications.

Qiskit Documentation

Qiskit Events

The IBM Quantum and Qiskit Community Team is organize and support a large variety of events such as summer schools, Qiskit Unconference, Qiskit Camps, hackathons, meet-ups, game jams, workshops, seminars...

How to stay tuned:

Images: Qiskit Global Summer School QML 2021 (top right),
(bottom, left to right) Qiskit Hackathon in Madrid 2019, Quantum Industry Day in Switzerland 2020, Qiskit Unconference in Finland 2021

Qiskit event

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Qiskit on YouTube

Are you interested in the History of Quantum Computing? Would you like to know where this new paradigm might lead us to? Did you miss the last Qiskit Global Summer School? Would you like to learn from top experts around the world?

If any of the answers to these questions is yes… then go check out our YouTube channel! We have a variety of content for everyone, from beginners to experts

Qiskit on youtube

Qiskit on youtube

Qiskit on youtube

Inspiring and teaching quantum programmers through games

For as long as computers have existed, people have been making games with them. Since the 1950s, games have been used to showcase new computing technologies and educate potential users. Quantum computing is no different.

One of our goals is, therefore, to investigate how games can help understanding and using quantum computation by:

  • Creating and supporting educational games, such as Hello Qiskit or Quantum Odyssey;
  • Providing different tools for game jammers, who would like to get their first taste of quantum computing by making simple games;
  • Researching potential applications of quantum computing in games and gaming technology, such as procedural generation;
  • Improving existing tools, so that they can be used by people without a quantum background like artists, game designers or others.

Quantum game

Quantum game           Quantum game           Quantum game           Quantum game

Run your own quantum experiment


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