The expected results and potential impacts are :
a- Impacts of the technology enablement activities
The technology enablement deliverables include:
• A complete quantum programming environment, with low layer support of the QT Flagship hardware platform – derived from the Eviden BULL freeware, myQLM
• A set of open source application software libraries derived after the use cases developments
• An application-focused hardware benchmark
We expect these deliverables to produce the following impacts:
• Boost the research in NISQ applications in Europe, as new industrial actors will find a complete and common toolset to start their practical investigation and share their results
• Build a steady bridge between the hardware activities and the end-users’ community. Even more than in classical IT, NISQ computing needs a strong cooperation between hardware makers and software users. So far it has been lacking in the QT Flagship, and we expect to successfully fill this gap. Thanks to our deliverables, hardware teams will have a framework to benchmark and optimize their platforms for the future users, as well as a compilation stack to offer to their early experimenters.
b- Impacts of the use case related activities
• Impact for the industrial members
The main motivation of our industrial members to participate to this call is that they are expecting tangible outcomes. The expected impacts are carefully documented in the corresponding work-packages, for each use case.
As a common denominator, the industrials are expecting to develop useful quantum advantage for their business, so that they will gain competitive advantages as soon as powerful enough NISQ platforms will be available. As such, IPR is carefully considered.
• Impact for the academic members
Quantum algorithmics has been developed so far in the scientific community. Not all discoveries have been examined from an application point of view. Conversely, not all applications candidate to quantum advantage have not been formalized to theoreticians. There is still a gap between the communities, as it occurred decades ago at the beginning of classical computer science. This project offers an unprecedented multidisciplinary collaboration framework between QC, HPC, AI, chemistry researchers, industry experts, off which brand-new research shall emerge.
• Impact for the whole community
We expect that our results and methodology will stimulate the academic and industrial communities. NEASQC members will spend most time and attention to the dissemination, in the various communities of QC end-users (in particular HPC, chemistry, optimization, ...) and academia. We also expect our work in use cases to provide strong directions for the development of NISQ machines, what would be very valuable the nascent quantum hardware industry.
