D-Wave Systems Inc. has made available free access to its quantum systems via the Leap quantum cloud service for anyone working on responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

Joining the effort are INECA, DENSO, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Kyocera Corporation, KYOCERA Communication Systems, MDR/Cliffhanger, Menten AI, NEC Solution Innovators Ltd., OTI Lumionics, QAR Lab at LMU Munich, Sigma-i, Tohoku University, and Volkswagen who will provide access to engineering teams with expertise on how to use the quantum computer and formulate problems, as well as help in developing solutions.

This initiative comes in response to a request from the Canadian government for solutions to the pandemic across industries. Unfettered, free access to D-Wave’s quantum computers via Leap is available immediately to anyone working on COVID-19 responses in the 35 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia where access is available to the Leap quantum cloud service.

Effectively responding to COVID-19 requires a collaborative and global effort across diverse organizations, including both private and public institutions. By providing free access to Leap’s quantum processing resources and quantum expertise, D-Wave and its partners hope to contribute to finding solutions to the COVID-19 crisis. Through this new initiative, anyone developing responses to the pandemic can immediately get unlimited, commercial contract-level access to the recently launched Leap 2. Leap 2 includes the hybrid solver service designed to bring both classical and quantum resources to quickly and precisely solve highly complex problems with up to 10,000 fully connected variables.

Hybrid quantum classical computing could be well-suited for solving a range of complex problems of this nature. Potential areas of focus for COVID-19 include a diverse range of hybrid quantum applications, such as analyzing new methods of diagnosis, modeling the spread of the virus, optimizing hospital logistics, supply distribution, pharmaceutical combinations, and beyond.