Q-CTRL, a global leader in quantum technology, has integrated its Q-CTRL Embedded Quantum software with IBM Quantum's Pay-As-You-Go Plan. This marks the first time a third-party software vendor's technology will be available on the IBM Quantum Pay-As-You-Go Plan. The integration aims to provide user-friendly functionality to address the primary challenge facing quantum computing end-users: unreliable results from algorithms run on today's hardware. The combination of Q-CTRL technology and IBM Quantum services reduces this burden, making it simpler to get useful results from real hardware by automatically addressing the problem of noise and hardware error.

Riverlane has been chosen for Phase 2 of the Quantum Benchmarking programme funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The programme aims to develop key quantum computing metrics for practical problems. Riverlane's CEO, Steve Brierley, stated that the programme aligns with their mission to make quantum computing useful sooner. The company is working with universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of Sydney to identify benchmarks for practical problems in various fields. Principal Quantum Scientist at Riverlane, Hari Krovi, highlighted the importance of fault tolerance in quantum computing.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the Amazon Braket Digital Learning Plan, a free learning programme for quantum computing developers, educators, and enthusiasts. The free quantum computing course programme offers foundational knowledge on quantum computing and Amazon Braket, AWS's quantum computing service. Participants can earn a digital badge after completing a series of courses and scoring at least 80% on an assessment. The learning plan includes two online courses focusing on domain knowledge, Braket features, and hands-on tutorials. The initiative aims to support experienced quantum instructors, enable students to gain practical experience, and help customers develop their quantum applications.

A team of researchers, including Alex Kerzner and Luca Dellantonio from softwareQ Inc., the Institute for Quantum Computing, and Transmutex SA, have developed a quantum algorithm that can find the smallest eigenvalue of a Hermitian matrix faster than classical algorithms. The algorithm combines Quantum Phase Estimation and Quantum Amplitude Estimation to achieve a quadratic speedup. This development could have applications in quantum chemistry and materials science.

The Quantum Application Lab (QAL) in Amsterdam has received a 1.2 million euro grant from the Amsterdam municipality. This funding will allow QAL to expand its operations and increase its activity in quantum computing application development. The grant follows a recent one from Quantum Delta NL, supported by the National Growth Fund. QAL will use the funds to hire new quantum innovation officers, a role crucial in translating academic knowledge into practical benefits. The QAL consortium includes the University of Amsterdam, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, SURF, the Netherlands eScience Centre, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, and Quantum Inspire.

German quantum software company, Kipu Quantum, has joined the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative's (DLR QCI) project, BASIQ. The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, aims to develop battery material simulations on an atomic level for gate-based quantum computers. Kipu Quantum's unique algorithms, which require significantly less circuit depth to solve problems, will be used in the project. The company's technology has applications in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, logistics, artificial intelligence, and finance. Prof. Enrique Solano and Dr. Daniel Volz, co-founders of Kipu Quantum, expressed their enthusiasm for the collaboration.

Quantum software company Classiq, in collaboration with NVIDIA and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, has launched the Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center. The initiative aims to develop quantum algorithms and applications to revolutionise life sciences and healthcare, including drug discovery, molecular analysis, and personalised medical treatments. The centre will also address challenges in supply chain and treatment coordination. Classiq CEO Nir Minerbi believes the software driving quantum computing is growing rapidly. The centre will utilise NVIDIAH100 Tensor Core GPU capabilities and NVIDIA CUDA Quantum programming platform. The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center will initiate the centre's collaborative approach.

D-Wave a leading quantum computing company, has announced successful Quantum Error Mitigation (QEM) in its Advantage2 annealing quantum computing prototype. The QEM techniques reduce errors in quantum simulations, leading to results consistent with the quantum system maintaining its quantum state for a significantly longer time. This advancement is expected to improve performance in the forthcoming Advantage2 system and future processors. The research, led by Mohammad Amin, marks D-Wave's first experimental demonstration of Zero-Noise Extrapolation, a practical QEM technique. This could help tackle complex problems in scientific and machine learning applications.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), Infleqtion, Nebula Space Enterprises, and Accenture Federal Services have announced a partnership for the Quantum & Space Collaboration. The initiative aims to utilise quantum technologies for advancements in national security, energy, and economic prosperity. The collaboration will focus on quantum sensing, communications, and computing to bolster the US's leadership in the space economy. The goal is to begin space environmental demonstrations using quantum technologies in early 2024. Rima Kasia Oueid, the DOE's lead for the Quantum Space Collaboration, emphasised the importance of this partnership for innovation and economic stability.

A recent article in Nature highlights the issues with Quantum Education. Quantum is an entire industry, but it's still nascent, and we are potentially a long way from some of the purported benefits. The fundamentals are sound, but Quantum will feel like a potential solution without a real problem for many. However, as the field and Quantum Tech Industry progresses, more and more people are looking at how to educate themselves in all things quantum.

Qubit Pharmaceuticals has made a breakthrough in quantum chemistry, aiming to improve the efficiency and accessibility of quantum chemistry simulations. The company combines classical and quantum methodologies to enhance drug design. They use NVIDIA GPUs and their own state-vector emulator, Hyperion HPC, to conduct exact simulations across systems. Their research focuses on Quantum State Preparation and a new method called Overlap-ADAPT-VQE, which significantly improves quantum chemistry simulations. This could lead to advancements in drug development and materials science.

Singapore-based quantum software company, Entropica Labs, has raised $4.7m in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Italian venture capital firm Liftt and existing investor Wavemaker Partners, with additional investment from SEEDS Capital, CerraCap Ventures, SUTD Venture Holdings, and Elev8 VC. Entropica Labs, co-founded by Ewan Munro and Tommaso Demarie, is developing software tools for error correction and fault tolerance in quantum computing. The new funding will be used to expand the team and fast-track software development, as well as strengthen partnerships with leading quantum hardware providers.

Quandela, a European leader in photonic quantum computing, has delivered its first quantum computer, MosaiQ, to OVHcloud datacenters, marking a significant milestone as the first European quantum computing company to supply a machine to an industrial client. OVHcloud becomes the first European cloud services provider to own a quantum system based on photonic processors. The quantum computer is modular and scalable, with the ability to add new modules to increase computational capabilities. Three more machines are in production at Quandela, with deliveries planned for 2024.

Microsoft's Azure Quantum has developed a hybrid quantum supercomputer that combines quantum and classical computing to solve complex problems. The system requires at least one million stable and controllable qubits, and uses error correction to maintain stability. Microsoft's unique topological qubit design aids this stability. The hybrid nature of the supercomputer allows for the integration of quantum and classical computing. Researchers from Microsoft and Quantinuum have successfully run Magic State Distillation and Repeat-Until-Success algorithms on the Azure Quantum system. The system uses Quantum Intermediate Representation to represent quantum and classical logic, optimising program logic.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has contracted ParityQC to develop new methods for molecular simulation on quantum computers. The project, QuantiCoM Q2H, is part of DLR's QuantiCoM initiative, aiming to advance materials science and engineering through quantum computing. Over three years, ParityQC will create quantum computing algorithms for atomistic simulations, starting with hydrogen and water molecules. The project could lead to more accurate simulations of chemical systems, impacting various industries including drug discovery, energy, manufacturing, construction, automotive, electronics, and aerospace. ParityQC, a spinoff of the University of Innsbruck, is the world's only quantum architecture company.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $11.4 million funding for six projects in quantum information science (QIS) relevant to fusion and plasma science. The Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program, which supports this research, aims to develop a fusion energy source. The QIS portfolio within FES explores areas where QIS could impact FES mission areas, including fusion and discovery plasma science. Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director of Science for FES, believes the convergence of quantum science, fusion energy, and plasma science is an exciting discovery area. The projects will advance quantum algorithms, develop measurement techniques for plasmas, and explore high energy density physics methods.

Multiverse Computing, Moody’s Analytics, and Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) have secured funding from Innovate UK to develop large-scale flood prediction models using quantum methods. The project, overseen by the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, aims to improve the country's response to extreme weather events linked to climate change. Multiverse will provide the software and technical formulation, OQC will supply the quantum hardware, and Moody’s will contribute industry expertise and data insights. The project marks the first time Multiverse has applied quantum algorithms to assess potential flood damage.

Zapata AI, an industrial generative AI company, has partnered with Mila - Quebec AI Institute, the world's largest academic deep learning research centre. The collaboration aims to advance machine learning and quantum algorithms, potentially benefiting industries such as life sciences, financial services, and manufacturing. Zapata AI's CTO, Yudong Cao, and Mila's Executive Vice-President, Stéphane Létourneau, expressed excitement about the partnership. They will work with Professor Guillaume Rabusseau and other Mila researchers to refine algorithms and help enterprises run their AI models more efficiently. The first research paper from this collaboration will be published soon.

Cleveland Clinic has been chosen by Wellcome Leap to lead a quantum computing research project in collaboration with IBM Quantum. The project aims to develop quantum algorithms for predicting protein structures, potentially leading to more effective therapies. A second project, led by Algorithmiq, will explore how quantum computing could assist in the development of photon-activated drugs for cancer. Both projects are part of Wellcome Leap’s Quantum for Bio Challenge, which will award up to $40 million to researchers globally. Earlier this year, the first IBM quantum system dedicated to healthcare research was installed at Cleveland Clinic.