In March 2023, Cleveland Clinic and IBM unveiled the IBM Quantum System One, marking the first quantum computer dedicated exclusively to healthcare research. This deployment is a key milestone in their 10-year Discovery Accelerator partnership, initiated in 2021, which aims to advance biomedical research through high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. The quantum system is installed at Cleveland Clinic's main campus in Cleveland, Ohio. The collaboration focuses on accelerating the discovery of new treatments and cures for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes by leveraging advanced computational technologies.

The Discovery Accelerator partnership, announced in March 2021, is a decade-long collaboration between Cleveland Clinic and IBM designed to fundamentally advance the pace of discovery in healthcare and life sciences. By integrating IBM's expertise in high-performance computing, hybrid cloud, AI, and quantum computing, the partnership aims to build a robust research and clinical infrastructure. This infrastructure is intended to empower big data medical research in ethical, privacy-preserving ways, leading to discoveries for patient care and novel approaches to public health threats.

As part of this collaboration, IBM installed its first private-sector, on-premises IBM Quantum System One in the United States at Cleveland Clinic's main campus. This quantum computer is dedicated to healthcare research, with the goal of accelerating biomedical discoveries. The system was unveiled in March 2023, marking a pivotal milestone in the partnership.

The Discovery Accelerator aims to enhance research in areas such as genomics, single-cell transcriptomics, population health, clinical applications, and chemical and drug discovery. By utilizing advanced computational technologies, the partnership seeks to expedite critical research into treatments and vaccines, particularly in the context of emerging pathogens and virus-related diseases.

Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic, emphasized the transformative potential of this collaboration:

"Through this innovative collaboration, we have a unique opportunity to bring the future to life. These new computing technologies can help revolutionize discovery in the life sciences."

Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, highlighted the urgency and significance of the partnership:

"The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned one of the greatest races in the history of scientific discovery – one that demands unprecedented agility and speed."

A significant component of the Discovery Accelerator is its focus on educating the workforce of the future and creating jobs to grow the economy. An innovative educational curriculum is being designed for participants from high school to the professional level, offering training and certification programs in data science, machine learning, and quantum computing. Additionally, the partnership plans to host research symposia, seminars, and workshops intended for academia, industry, government, and the public, with the goal of building a critical mass of computing specialists in Cleveland.

The deployment of the IBM Quantum System One at Cleveland Clinic represents a significant advancement in the integration of quantum computing into healthcare research. This collaboration has the potential to revolutionize the pace and efficacy of medical discoveries, leading to faster development of treatments and cures for complex diseases. Moreover, the partnership's emphasis on education and workforce development addresses the growing need for skilled professionals in emerging technologies, thereby contributing to economic growth and innovation in the region.