The Global Industry Challenge is hosted virtually, with participating teams tackling a prioritized set of industry-defined use cases and collaborating and competing to develop corresponding solutions with quantum computers.
Overview
The Global Industry Challenge is a platform for innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to engage in collaborative action to solve practical use cases using quantum and quantum adjacencies such as AI. The 2026 Challenge is hosted by Connected DMV and supported by American Physical Society, Aqora, qBraid, and Quantum World Congress. Platform Providers include D-Wave and IBM. With use-cases posed by Challenge Providers, AIST, Mitsubishi Chemical, qBraid, MITRE, JonesTrading, Quantum Computing Inc, and a Confidential US Federal Agency.
The Challenge targets the development of solutions for key sectors that drive the quantum industry. It is more than just a competition. It’s a global movement to drive quantum breakthroughs in Energy Infrastructure, Advanced Materials, and Dynamic Systems Forecasting.
Innovators, researchers, and industry leaders will collaborate to tackle real‑world challenges with access to cutting‑edge quantum platforms. By bringing together diverse teams and resources, the Challenge aims to accelerate the practical implementation of quantum technologies across key sectors. The 2025 competition brought together over 600 applicants from 60+ countries around the world, culminating in winning teams presenting and being awarded at the Quantum World Congress.
Important: Before you join the Challenge Competitions, you must have completed the following Participant Registration Form. This is also a rule for each competition.
Organizers & Partners
The 2026 Global Industry Challenge is led by Connected DMV, in collaboration with qBraid, Aqora, the Quantum World Congress, and the American Physical Society.
The Challenge Providers include Quantum Computing Inc. and US Federal Agency (Confidential) (Energy Infrastructure), Mitsubishi Chemical & The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (Advanced Materials), and qBraid, MITRE, and JonesTrading (Dynamic Systems Forecasting).
Challenge Timeline
Subject to change.
Kickoff & Challenge Announcement
CES 2026, Las Vegas, NV
Phase 1. Team Formation & Application
-All Teams. March – April 2026
-Form your team, select one or more use cases, and submit your Phase 1 deliverable.
-Submission Deadline: Sunday, April 5, 11:59 PM (EST).
Phase 2. Conceptual Design
-Down-Selected Teams Notified, Wednesday, April 15, 2026
-Develop and iterate on your proposed solution and submit a detailed technical paper.
-Submission Deadline: Sunday, May 17, 11:59 PM (EST).
Phase 3. Applied Execution
-Finalist Teams Notified, Wednesday, June 3, 2026
-Access the Challenge platforms, run simulations, collect and analyze results, and submit your final solution.
-Submission Deadline: Sunday, July 19, 11:59 PM (EST).
Award Ceremony
Quantum World Congress, September 23–25, 2026, College Park, Maryland
FAQ's
Participation
How do I register for the Challenge?
Please sign up through the following form and follow the instructions to register on Aqora to access the Challenges and qBraid to access the work portal —
Steps for Participation:
- Register through the link and complete the Participant Form.
- Create your Aqora Account and qBraid Account.
- Check out the four Competitions on Aqora.
Create a Team:
- Open your profile in the top‑right corner of aqora.io.
- Click on your profile.
- Click Organizations.
- Press the Create Organization button.
Add Members to a Team — Once the Organization (Team) is Created:
- Go to the Organization page, which can be found on your profile on the Organizations tab.
- Click Users.
- Add members using the @username — Add Member.
- There is one owner and members.
Who can participate in the Challenge?
The Challenge is open to participants worldwide, including innovators, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, students, and researchers. However, individuals from countries under active export control restrictions may be excluded to comply with US international regulations.
Do I need to have prior experience in quantum computing to participate?
While prior experience in quantum computing may be beneficial, it is not explicitly a requirement. The Challenge encourages diverse participation, and teams may consist of members with varying expertise. Collaborative efforts between individuals with different skill sets can lead to innovative solutions.
How do I build a team?
If you already have a team, great! Look for instructions on our partner site Aqora to submit your team information for the use case you choose to pursue.
Create a Team:
- Open your profile in the top‑right corner of aqora.io.
- Click on your profile.
- Click Organizations.
- Press the Create Organization button.
Add Members to a Team — Once the Organization (Team) is Created:
- Click Users.
- Add members using the @username — Add Member.
- There is one owner and members.
- See Demo Here (note: this was for the 2025 challenge)
How do I find a team or teammates?
If you do not have a team yet, no worries! The first phase of the challenge gives you the space to connect with others and build a team. You can use the discussion board hosted on our partner site Aqora to reach out to others and connect with those you want to work with. Post on the corresponding discussion board if you are looking to join a team or recruit for an existing team. Subscribe to the topic for email updates.
Who should be on the team?
We recommend teams of 1‑5 participants to balance the workload. Although there is no minimum team size, you may not have over 5 people on a team. We recommend that your team be diverse, with teammates filling the following roles: Coder; Data/Technical Lead; Content/Knowledge Expert; Business/Production; and Project Manager/Team Coordinator.
Teams must be formed by the Phase 1 Deadline (Sunday, April 5, 11:59 PM (EST)), you may not add additional members following this deadline. Teammates can drop out, but please inform the organizers.
How do I communicate with my team?
You can utilize the Aqora discussion board to communicate with your team once you have identified teammates, or you can set up alternate forms of communication once you have connected.
How does my team decide what use case to pursue?
The use cases can be found here. We recommend that you read the use cases and decide which best suits your technical expertise and experience.
How many use cases can my team work on?
A team can submit solutions for multiple use cases, but a team cannot submit multiple solutions for the same use case.
How many teams can I join?
Participants are able and encouraged to join multiple teams if the respective teams are not submitting solutions for the same use cases.
What are the focus areas of the Challenge?
The Challenge targets developing solutions for key sectors that drive the quantum industry. Industry leaders have established a set of prioritized use cases for the Challenge.
Where can I find the use cases?
The use cases are outlined on the
Global Industry Challenge website. Once you are registered for the Challenge, the detailed use cases are hosted on our partner site, Aqora.
Who is qBraid, the Platform Provider?
qBraid is a cloud‑based platform that provides an environment for users to write, test, and execute quantum programs on multiple hardware providers. qBraid was the winner of the inaugural Quantum World Congress Startup Pitch Competition and is the official platform partner of the Global Industry Challenge.
How do I launch my selected Challenge on the qBraid platform?
See the live demo here for launching the Challenge and accessing the platform. This will be used in Phase 2 and Phase 3, so familiarize yourself with their platform.
Watch Live Demo Here (note: this was for the 2025 challenge)
How will the Challenge be conducted and over what timeline?
The Challenge will be conducted virtually. The key milestones are above.
What do I submit for Phase 1?
Create a 1‑page (plus cover page) maximum PDF, using 11‑point Times New Roman font and single spacing, and submit it through the relevant Aqora Competition.
File Format Requirement: TeamName__Phase1_VersionX.pdf
Include the following details:
- Cover Page (not included in page count): GIC 2026 Cover Page.docx
- Team Qualifications for Tackling the Challenge (Education, Job Title and Organization)
- Brief Description of the Steps You Will Use to Solve this Challenge
- High‑level overview of your proposed solution
- Technical approach, including how you will utilize quantum computing feasibility and advantage over classical methods
- Projected industry impact
How do I submit?
-Open the Aqora competition page that you want to submit for, and click the Submission tab
-Drag and drop or upload the PDF for Phase 1
-You can view your submission through your Aqora profile
Only one teammate needs to upload the submission. Re‑upload to replace with the newest version.
What are the prizes?
Winning teams will be invited to Quantum World Congress 2025 and have the opportunity to present their solutions at the Quantum World Congress 2026 (Sept 23‑25, 2026, The Hotel College Park, Maryland, USA).
Each winning team will receive a Challenge Award in-person and global recognition on stage at Quantum World Congress 2026.
Depending on solutions and use cases, there could be follow‑up opportunities for winning teams to participate in further development with the industry providers and quantum platforms.
Dependent on solutions, team structure, and use case, winning teams can receive a priority invitation for the 2027 Quantum Start‑up Pitch Competition. Subject to forming a company.
What are the general conditions of engagement?
Organizers reserve the right to disqualify teams violating the parameters outlined in the above Q&A or engaging in unfair practices.
Decisions by judges and organizers are final and will not be contested by the participants.
Participants agree to the rules and disclosures set forth when they registered and joined the challenge.
Do challenge participants retain the IP rights to their work?
Participants will submit original solutions, prototypes, or other materials (a “Submission”). Participants retain ownership of all intellectual property rights in and to Submissions but grant the Challenge Organizer and Use Case Providers a perpetual, irrevocable, and non‑exclusive license to use, adapt, or create a larger/derivative work from the submission. Participant(s) agree not to or authorize any action, or lawsuit against the Organizer, Use Case Providers, or any other person, on the grounds that any use of a Participant's Submission infringes any of Participant's rights as creator of the Submission.
Important: Before you join the Challenge Competitions, you must have completed the following Participant Registration Form. This is also a rule for each competition.
Who can I contact with questions?
Ask questions through the Discussion Board and Subscribe for Updates or
Email
quantum@connecteddmv.org with any questions.
