IEEE Quantum Week Highlights Integration of GenAI and Quantum for Drug Discovery

The IEEE Quantum Week 2026 conference, held Sept. 13 to 18 in Toronto, is focusing on the practical and commercial application of quantum computing, as BetaKit first reported. According to BetaKit, Hausi Müller, a University of Victoria professor and conference co-founder, a primary area of potential is drug discovery. Müller explained that combining generative AI for brainstorming with quantum computing for generating molecular data could allow researchers to understand why specific molecules work.

BetaKit reports that the event expects approximately 2,000 delegates from 50 to 60 countries. Global leaders appearing in the keynote lineup include Krysta Svore (Nvidia), Matthias Troyer (Microsoft), Ali Javadi-Abhari (IBM Research), Travis Humble (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Alán Aspuru-Guzik (University of Toronto), Christian Weedbrook (Xanadu), Rajeeb Hazra (Quantinuum), Lisa Lambert and Mihir Bhaskar (IonQ), Niels Bultink (Qblox), and Gilad Ben-Shach (Quantum Machines).

Müller notes that while the industry has not yet settled on a standardized hardware design, commercially viable quantum computers are already available from several firms, including IBM, D-Wave, Quantinuum, IonQ, Rigetti, Pasqal, IQM, Xanadu, QuEra, and Atom Computing. Current developments include superconducting, photonic, neutral atoms, silicon, and trapped-ion designs. BetaKit notes that AWS and Microsoft operate primarily as ecosystem and cloud platform companies, while Google restricts hardware access to approved groups.

Beyond hardware, Müller highlighted a surge in quantum networking interest, with conference submissions on the topic rising to roughly 150 papers this year. He emphasized the need for "quantum champions" within end-user industries—including health care, mining, and telecommunications—to bridge the gap between industry knowledge and quantum expertise.