Community Short Facts - February 2022

BMW Quantum Computing Challenge

BMW has announced the four winners of the BMW Quantum Computing Challenge. The team with 1QBit, NTT Data and NTT Research won in the category "Configuration optimization of pre-production vehicles". The competition called on researchers and companies to develop innovative quantum algorithms and test their solutions on real quantum computers. In the competition category in which 1QBit and NTT were successful, BMW wants to find out how the millions of combinations in the configuration of pre-production vehicles can be optimized before the start of production so that as few tests as possible, for example with prototypes on the road, are necessary.

Does the 2-liter engine harmonize with the heated windscreen and leather seats? What appears to be unproblematic at first glance can lead to new findings when tested under extreme conditions. BMW has high hopes for quantum algorithms. The winning team has found a unique hybrid solution that runs on currently available specialized hardware as well as on universal and adiabatic quantum computers, which will only be ready for the market in a few years' time.