IBM is to deploy an on-premise quantum computer at a university campus in New York.

The company has announced it will deploy an IBM Quantum System One at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s (RPI) campus in Troy, New York.

The IBM Quantum System One to be deployed at RPI will be powered by the 127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle processor. The new system is set to be operational by January 2024.

The system is being funded by Nvidia co-founder Curtis R. Priem as part of a $150 million investment program. The new quantum computer will be part of RPI's new Curtis Priem Quantum Constellation, a faculty-endowed center for collaborative research.

"I am extremely excited to support RPI as it moves into this important realm," said Priem. "This investment will keep RPI at the forefront of technology and innovation, as well as lead the country in leveraging this powerful technology for the good of our nation."

The agreement with IBM includes a commitment to provide an upgrade to the system installed at RPI in 2026.

"We are grateful for Curtis Priem's support. RPI is building upon our longstanding collaboration with IBM to harness state-of-the-art computing to find solutions to global challenges, while training the next-gen workforce in quantum," said Marty A. Schmidt '81, Ph.D., president of RPI. "Our new quantum computational center will benefit the Capital Region and the State of New York by dramatically enhancing our area's research capabilities. We look forward to working with our partners in the region to transform the Hudson River Valley into 'Quantum Valley.'"

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a technological research university encompassing five schools and over 30 research centers over two campuses in New York’s Rensselaer County and Hartford, Connecticut.

RPI is home to an 11 petaflops IBM Power9/Nvidia supercomputer known as Artificial Intelligence Multiprocessing Optimized System (AiMOS). The system is located at the Center for Computational Innovations (CCI) at the Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy.

"Today's quantum computers are novel, scientific tools that can be used to model problems that are extremely difficult, and perhaps impossible, for classical systems, signaling that we are now entering a new phase of utility for quantum computing," said Darío Gil, SVP and director of IBM Research. "We expect this collaboration to continue to have tremendous impact for the area's growth as a corridor of innovation, from New York City to the Capital Region. We are thrilled to collaborate with RPI as we continue to nurture the global quantum ecosystem of tomorrow.

IBM offers access to its quantum computers through a portal, with most of its systems housed at an IBM data center in New York. A second facility is being developed in Germany.

IBM also offers on-premise or dedicated hosted quantum systems for customers. The company has deployed an on-premise system at US healthcare provider Cleveland Clinic’s HQ in Cleveland, Ohio, and at the Fraunhofer Society’s facility outside Stuttgart, Germany.

More on-premise/hosted deployments are planned or have been deployed in Spain, Canada, Japan, and South Korea.

IBM’s most advanced processor is currently the IBM Osprey, a 433-qubit processor. The company expects to launch the 1,121-qubit single-gate Condor and the 133-qubit two-qubit gate-design Heron by the end of this year. By 2025, it hopes to develop a 4,000+ qubit processor built with multiple clusters of modularly scaled processors.