Scott Crowder, Vice President of IBM Quantum Adoption, joins Thinking on Paper to explain IBM’s approach to quantum-centric supercomputing.

Rather than replacing classical computers, IBM expects quantum processors to work alongside CPUs, GPUs and high-performance computing systems. Each type of hardware handles the parts of a problem it’s best suited to solve.

In this episode, we discuss:

What quantum-centric supercomputing means
How quantum processors, GPUs, CPUs and HPC systems work together
IBM’s roadmap towards fault-tolerant quantum computing
What IBM Starling is designed to achieve by 2029
How superconducting qubits work
Why quantum error correction is essential
The role of Qiskit and open-source quantum software
Which quantum algorithms could deliver practical value
How quantum computing could support chemistry and materials research
IBM and Cleveland Clinic’s work on protein simulation
IBM’s collaboration with RIKEN
How Nvidia GPUs fit into hybrid quantum systems
Why accessibility and real-world adoption matter as much as hardware progress

Scott explains why useful quantum computing will depend on more than increasing qubit counts. It will require reliable hardware, error correction, strong software tools, integration with existing data centres and developers who can apply quantum systems to real problems.

This conversation examines IBM’s plan to move quantum computing from experimental hardware towards fault-tolerant systems that can contribute to scientific and industrial computing.

Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, computing, science, and the systems shaping the future.

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Chapters

(00:00) Trailer

(01:20) Quantum computing

(02:40) IBM Reference Architecture

(05:05) Superconducting

(06:47) Algorithmic Discovery

(12:34) Cleveland Clinic

(13:44) IBM's quantum-centric supercomputing architecture

(16:07) Quantum computers today

(17:58) Quantum and classical converge

(22:28) Richard Feynman

(25:25) Data centers

(32:01) Quantum computers in space

(42:19) Qiskit, NVIDIA, and open source