OQI
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OQI

Open Quantum Institute showcased at Women in Data Science Geneva (WiDS)

23rd April 2025

Photo by Joanne O’Malley

On April 1st, Alex Bernasconi, OQI Applications Project Manager, represented OQI at the 2025 Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference in Geneva.

 

The annual event brings together women from across academia, industry and international organisations to share their work, foster collaboration, and inspire diversity within the field of data science. This year’s conference featured speakers discussing the impact of data science across a range of emerging technologies, including quantum computing. 

 

As quantum computing continues to advance, its potential to address global challenges becomes increasingly evident–yet its access remains unevenly distributed. Alex explored how OQI is working to bridge this gap—outlining our work to accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the development of quantum computing use cases to address real-world challenges. In her talk, she addressed an important question: how can we ensure equitable access to quantum technologies? 

 

Alex outlined our efforts to foster global collaboration, through:

 

  • Developing accessible educational resources to build capacity around the world, with a focus on quantum-underserved geographies
  • Providing cloud-based access to quantum computers and simulators
  • Promoting science diplomacy and anticipation to drive the equitable governance of quantum computing before it is realised

 

Alex also discussed her role at OQI, supporting our use case teams working to develop real-world quantum applications across a range of fields—such as healthcare, energy and sustainable food production. The development of our use cases was also explored, examining the evolution of an idea to a proof of concept and how OQI is working alongside use case teams to support their development.

 

OQI’s participation in WiDS Geneva emphasises our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion not only in quantum computing but also more widely within the field of data science–highlighting the importance of broadening access to emerging technologies to ensure that all voices are included in shaping the impact and future of quantum computing. 

 

Learn more about Alex’s work in supporting the development of SDG-focused quantum computing use cases: https://open-quantum-institute.cern/applications/

2025 | Open Quantum Institute

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Join the Future of Quantum Computing!

Learn about engagement opportunities

OQI Partners are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Either have served as OQI’s spearheading partners during its incubation phase or have consistently engaged resources to OQI’s work as OQI members for at least a year
  2. Commit to co-shape the OQI’s unique value propositions for the three years of the pilot throughout the 4A’s​
  3. Are vetted by the OQI Advisory Committee
  4. Abide to OQI’s values and openness principles

OQI Members are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or their impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Have disclosed their governance structure
  2. Commit to actively contribute on at least one of the 4A’s assiduously for at least one year​
  3. Have appointed at least one expert from their institution as focal point of contact for OQI and contributor to its working groups
  4. Abide to OQI’s values
  5. Have submitted a complete membership form with supporting documentation and are vetted by the OQI Management Team
  6. Qualify for partner level after having demonstrated their commitment for at least one year​

OQI Friends are individuals (such as experts from the private or public sector, countries, citizens) who are committed to open science, inclusivity and all values as set out in OQI’s charter and associate themselves with the OQI.

Friends socialise the OQI to their communities.

Downloadable PDF version of Charter

 

Description:

The Open Quantum Institute (OQI) is a multilateral governance initiative that promotes global and inclusive access to quantum computing and the development of applications for the benefit of humanity. As a novel science diplomacy instrument, it brings together research, diplomacy, private sector and philanthropy stakeholders. OQI is hosted by CERN during its pilot phase (2024-2026).

 

Mission:

• Accelerating applications for humanity: Realising the full potential of quantum computing to have the widest possible societal impact by accelerating the development of use cases geared towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and succeeding framework , thanks to the combined forces of researchers, developers and entrepreneurs from academia and private sector as well as the United Nations, and large NGOs
• Access for all: Providing global, inclusive and equitable access to a pool of public and private quantum computers and simulators available via the cloud
• Advancing capacity building: Developing educational tools to enable everyone around the world to contribute to the development of quantum computing and make the most of the technology
• Activating multilateral governance for the SDGs: Providing a neutral forum to help shape multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs

 

Values:

• Inclusivity, global scope
  • Enable people from all countries, regardless of whether they have any quantum computing capability of their own, to benefit from and to participate in the development of (i) quantum computing applications that address global challenges, in particular those that are closely related to their own specific challenges, and (ii) the multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs
• Openness
  • Share experiences, knowledge, and methods for the benefit of all, following Open Science best practice
  • Make openly available the results – outcomes of joint activities related to the OQI mission conducted by the OQI community – to society via open repositories and/or through the use of open licences
• Focus on impact
  • Ensure that applications are developed for their quantum computing potential to tackle real-world problems that will benefit humanity
  • Consider and balance their ethical, legal, and societal implications
• Independence
  • Enable everyone to participate free from individual, national, corporate or any other agendas
  • Develop applications with a technology neutral approach.
• Collaboration
  • Foster a community of diverse expertise, backgrounds and geographies, enabled by international cooperation and diplomacy

 

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