IBM Pledges Practical Quantum Supercomputer by 2029

Quick Summary

• IBM plans to launch a fault-tolerant quantum supercomputer named Starling by 2029.
• The computer will feature tens of thousands of qubits grouped into around 200 logical qubits, supporting more than 100 million quantum operations.
• Key innovations include new hardware for connecting qubits across chips and using LDPC code to optimize the creation of logical qubits, reducing error-correction reliance on physical qubits.
• Starling is expected to benefit industries like pharmaceuticals by enabling molecular simulations that save time and reduce experimental costs.
• competitors Quantinuum and PsiQuantum are also racing towards utility-scale quantum computers with similar timelines (2027-2029).

Indian Opinion Analysis
IBM’s ambitious roadmap for Starling highlights the transformative potential of fault-tolerant quantum computing for various sectors, such as drug progress and manufacturing advanced materials. For India, this breakthrough technology could eventually open avenues in areas like healthcare innovation, telecommunication security with quantum encryption systems, and climate modeling science vital for enduring planning initiatives. However, IBM’s focus on superconducting qubit innovation calls attention to India’s own need for investment in foundational research if it aims to compete or integrate itself within global trends in the emerging field of quantum computation science.

Developing robust partnerships between Indian academia/industries with global pioneers like IBM could accelerate access while leveraging India’s rich software expertise base might utilize efficient algorithm-output once devices are feasible broadly commercially scale usable.