sponsored by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Danish Business Authority and Danish Centre for AI Innovation - Gefion

Event timeline

01 July 2025: Applications open for participants
Registration opens soon
15 September 2025: Applications close
10-12 November 2025: Quantum Innovation Challenge Final Projects Presentation

With the emergence of near term intermediate quantum computers and quantum-inspired algorithms powered by GPUs, it is important to understand their strengths and weaknesses, reduce the barrier to use, and adapt them for pharmaceutical development apart from drug discovery (e.g. docking and binding analysis). The Bio Innovation Institute (BII), Molecular Quantum Solutions (MQS), Novo Nordisk, QAI Ventures and Roche are hosting the virtual quantum challenge for researchers all over the world to work collaboratively in teams on projects.

Researchers can propose projects with respect to this year’s challenge topic applying quantum computing and quantum-inspired algorithms to existing benchmarks, developing new benchmarks involving quantum computing methods, creating sub-aglorithms based on quantum computing methods, proposing quantum computing based sampling and optimization methods, and more. After the challenge, results will be collated and secured under open-source and free license agreements (Apache/MIT) in the dedicated Quantum-Challenge-2025 repository.

This opportunity is open to researchers at all levels who are interested in quantum computing for better informed pharmaceutical development in the low data regime. Prior programming experience is required and basic familiarity with git and GitHub. Training and orientation resources are available on the resources page.

Logistics

(Element for ongoing comms, especially for the participants to find other team members.

Questions via email can be sent to quantum_challenge@mqs.dk during the two weeks Q&A phase and will be collectively answered via the Q&A page.

Outputs

By the end of the event, we hope you will have formed new connections, learned new skills, and been inspired with new ideas!

Prizes

Gefion access has been given to the five highest-ranked projects agenda.

Hosts