Quantum computing training gains momentum with IberQuantum Lab
The initiative promoted by Ibermatica Fundazioa and i3B expands with two new locations and new agreements with universities and vocational training centres
IberQuantum Lab, the initiative created last year by Ibermática Fundazioa and i3B, continues to grow with the goal of becoming a training hub for generating talent in the field of quantum computing. After its launch in 2024 alongside the Vitoria School of Engineering, this year it has been reinforced with two new locations, one at the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Basque Technology Park and another in Bilbao, and with new agreements with universities and vocational training centres.
The president of Ibermática Fundazioa, Joseba Inchaurraga, explains that IberQuantum Lab, which already has more than thirty researchers, ‘aims to be a collaborative environment focused on generating knowledge and talent in the field of quantum technologies and Artificial Intelligence, through training and participation in collaborative R&D&I projects with different organisations’.
Throughout this year, several R&D&I projects have been launched, some of which have already been implemented by clients in the automotive, energy and consumer sectors and are in the midst of industrialisation. In addition, Ayesa has quantum projects contracted, developed and in production at entities such as Iberdrola, Mercedes-Benz, Sener and even ONCE, ‘which makes Ibermática Fundazioa one of the few entities that has been able to carry out this entire process to date, and with a high degree of customer satisfaction, according to what they themselves tell us,’ says Inchaurraga.
A driving force
Iberquantum Lab, in collaboration with Ibermatica Fundazioa, also seeks to be a driving force in the ecosystem, where, in addition to developing academic work and studies or R&D&I activities, it seeks to carry out outreach activities involving various organisations that are part of the innovation ecosystem and others that wish to learn how quantum technology can impact their organisations.
Two outreach sessions have already been held this year, one in collaboration with the Basque Hydrogen Corridor and another with the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa in the field of cybersecurity, in which companies such as Petronor, Sener and Kutxabank, among others, participated as speakers in round tables.
‘All these initiatives,’ Inchaurraga emphasises, “are just another example of Ayesa’s firm commitment to the Basque Country, articulated through Ibermática Fundazioa and i3B. With these initiatives, we want to help all the organisations that make up the Basque economic and administrative fabric to be at the forefront of IT and be prepared to lead the technological revolution that quantum computing will bring.”
In addition to the Vitoria School of Engineering (EHU), IberQuantum Lab has agreements with the University of Mondragón, the EHU and the University of Deusto. It also collaborates with various vocational training centres, such as Somorrostro, which is a centre of excellence in AI in Spain.
