Quantum Leaps: Winners of Airbus and BMW Group’s Quantum Computing Challenge Unveiled

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Airbus and BMW Group have pushed quantum computing forward another step to leverage its significant potential for future mobility solutions. At Q2B, the companies have unveiled the winners of the Quantum Computing Challenge, an international initiative to identify and mature quantum solutions for the most promising mobility applications.

Quantum computing has the potential to impact various industries by speeding up our responses to an array of computational challenges, from optimizing supply chains and manufacturing processes to improving vehicle and aircraft engineering. Quantum-inspired algorithms, already able to run today on classical high-performance computers, can be used to impact the design of the next generation of mobility solutions and give us a glimpse of the significant impact real quantum algorithms could have on future mobility solutions.

“The teams have achieved outstanding progress, and the results of this challenge confirm that quantum technologies have the potential to shape the next generation of aircraft,” said Isabell Gradert, Vice President Central Research and Technology at Airbus. “Quantum technology is no longer confined to only fundamental research. Even if it might still be a long way off, it’s clearly advancing towards industrial applications, and we must collaborate with the best experts in the world so that we can fully leverage its potential as soon as it becomes viable,” she added.

"Quantum technology has the power to redefine innovation across industries. This year’s Airbus and BMW Group Quantum Computing Challenge underscores the importance of cross-industry partnerships in accelerating the journey from groundbreaking research to practical applications," said Robert Bruckmeier, General Manager Computing & Network Artificial Intelligence at BMW Group. "While we are still in the early stages, the progress made in this challenge reaffirms our belief in quantum technology’s potential to drive extraordinary advancements for the automotive industry.”

The results of the challenge will enable both companies to identify the most promising quantum computing applications to improve the way aircraft and cars are designed, manufactured and operated. A winning team was selected for each of five competition categories:

1. Quantum Simulation – The team from the University of Southern California in the U.S. demonstrated that material behavior, such as energy absorption and binding properties, can be better understood by using quantum technologies.

2. Quantum Solvers – The team from the University of Hamburg in Germany showed how quantum computing could be combined with classical computing solutions to solve complex equations to minimize aircraft noise and maximize aerodynamic efficiency.

3. Quantum-powered Logistics – The team from 4colors Research, a start-up from the UK, used quantum computing to minimize CO2 emissions and other costs required in the supply chain logistics process, a particularly complex challenge for the mobility sector.

4. Quantum Machine Learning – The team from Quandela, a start-up from France, explored whether quantum computing can enhance critical scenario generation, such as transforming limited daytime data into precise and realistic nighttime conditions. The potential application for mobility would be to improve the reliability of autonomous systems in diverse environments.

5. And in the Golden app, open category – The team from TU Delft, a Netherlands University, provided a novel solution in q​uantum composite design. Their work stood out for its real-world applicability, specifically addressing optimization techniques in the layering of carbon fiber materials. The weight-saving properties of carbon fiber are particularly important in reducing fuel consumption in the aviation and automotive industries.

All finalists in this competition were given access to quantum resources through Amazon Web Services (AWS) to run their algorithms, as well as an opportunity to work with aerospace, automotive and quantum experts from Airbus and the BMW Group.

Launched in December 2023 and hosted by The Quantum Insider, the Quantum Computing Challenge aims to inspire the global quantum computing community to take solutions out of the lab and put them into practice in the field of transportation. A jury composed of world-leading quantum computing experts – from academia to industry – teamed up with Airbus and the BMW Group to select five winners from more than 100 submissions. Each of the five winners was awarded a prize of €30,000.