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The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen is one of the first institutions from the Czech Republic to join more than 275 organizations worldwide in the IBM Quantum Network. This step was made possible through its entry into the IBM Quantum Innovation Center, which is professionally coordinated by the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) and was launched with support from the Ministry of Defence and the University of Defence. On Tuesday, June 10, research institutions signed agreements at CTU, formalizing their connection to the IBM Quantum Network.

A quantum computer is a device that, instead of classical bits (0 or 1), uses so-called qubits—units that can be both 0 and 1 at the same time due to a phenomenon known as superposition. This allows it to process massive amounts of combinations and data simultaneously. Thanks to cloud access, students and researchers at the University of West Bohemia will now be able to work with such a machine. With access to IBM’s quantum computers and tools such as Qiskit—IBM’s most powerful quantum software—it will be possible to explore complex quantum research questions across a wide range of fields, including healthcare and life sciences, materials science, high-energy physics, and sustainability.

“The Quantum Innovation Center project opens up the opportunity to expand research and development collaboration not only with other universities and organizations in the Czech Republic but also with industries across Europe and the world,” said Veronika Kramaříková, Vice-Rector of CTU.

“For the University of West Bohemia, this is a major milestone in our efforts to be part of top-tier research and development in a field that is shaping the future of the digital world. Cooperation with partners such as IBM gives us a unique opportunity to access quantum computers and enables our scientists and students to work with the most advanced tools modern science has to offer,” said Miroslav Lávička, Rector of the University of West Bohemia.

Quantum computers also have great potential in breaking today’s encryption methods, which is a threat not only to governmental infrastructure. One of the key areas researchers will focus on is post-quantum cryptography—the development of encryption methods resistant to attacks from quantum computers. Current encryption relies on the fact that certain mathematical problems are extremely difficult for classical computers to solve. This project will therefore also contribute to strengthening the Czech Republic’s strategic security.

At UWB, researchers will be able to test the unique potential of quantum computing in applications such as quantum materials, quantum sensors, and more. “The Quantum Innovation Center at CTU, together with the installation of the VLQ quantum computer at the IT4I supercomputing center in Ostrava, represents a major leap forward for our country in accessing world-class technologies. The Czech Republic is becoming an attractive location not only for a new generation of talent, top-tier research, and education, but also for investors and industry applications. In doing so, we are boosting both our competitiveness and our security,” said Petr Kavalíř, Government Commissioner for Quantum Technologies and Director of the New Technologies Research Centre (NTC) at the University of West Bohemia.

Members of the IBM Quantum Innovation Center at CTU will include the Czech Academy of Sciences and the following universities: Charles University in Prague, Masaryk University in Brno, Brno University of Technology, Palacký University in Olomouc, the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, and the University of Defence.