Quantum Hackathon: Building Skills for the Future

”If you want to understand how to do something useful with the a quantum computer, this hackathon is the fastest and most enjoyable way to do that”, said Göran Johansson, director of the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology."

WACQT, an IBM Quantum Innovation Center, is working with IBM to accelerate quantum innovation in Sweden. Together, they provide operational support, educational programs like quantum hackathons, and shared infrastructure to lower barriers for academia and industry. This collaboration is supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

At the hackathon, close to 40 participants from Sweden and abroad created original quantum circuits. The goal was for those circuits to be applicable to industry use cases. 

The winning team- with the name the Qiskiteers- impressed the jury with their investigation of how to efficiently encode DNA data into quantum state, using techniques from Information theory.

”If you want to understand how to do something useful with the a quantum computer, this hackathon is the fastest and most enjoyable way to do that”, said Göran Johansson, director of the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology.

IBM’s latest Quantum Readiness Index report underscores the urgency of building quantum skills: 90% of quantum-ready organizations cite inadequate skills as a barrier to adoption and application development. As organization quantum ambitions grow, talent needs will expand across architecture, algorithm design, and integration engineering—making initiatives like this hackathon critical for building the workforce of the future.

"Quantum is a catalyst for discovery. As quantum and AI develop, organizations that invest in talent today will lead tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Building expertise in quantum computing, algorithm design, and integration engineering isn’t optional—it’s the foundation for unlocking unprecedented innovation and competitive advantage. We predict that the first quantum advantages will emerge in 2026. Those who prepare now will set the pace for the next era of computing", says Voica Ana Maria Radescu, EMEA and APAC Lead for IBM Quantum Innovation Centers.

“The quantum field has matured enough for us to be able to build, test, and learn together. It was a fun way to collaborate across borders, in this case together with IBM. I expected a bit of chaos, a lot of creativity, and hopefully something brilliant at the end! And it turned out great!”, says Sofie Skönvall, Administrator, Chalmers Next Labs Quantum Technology Testbed and project manager for the hackathon.