Building the Future of Computing, Together
IBM Research, April 29,2026
IBM strengthens partnerships with MIT, ETH Zurich, and University of Illinois to advance quantum and classical computing research.
IBM Research announced newly renewed partnerships with three top science universities - MIT, ETH Zurich, and University of Illinois - to accelerate development in quantum and classical algorithms and applications.
The expanded MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab will focus roughly half on AI and half on quantum-related research under a new 10-year agreement, with emphasis on error correction and scientific discovery applications.
The IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute will pursue quantum-centric supercomputing (QCSC) that harmonizes classical and quantum methods, while partnering with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications to share architecture knowledge with the broader research community. These collaborations reflect IBM Research's strategy of working with leading academics to tackle the hardest problems in computing through collaborative university partnerships.