Cuba-Based Team Builds Open Platform Aimed at Making Quantum Computing Easier to Use

Insider BriefA Cuba-based team is developing an open software platform designed to make quantum computing easier to use across different hardware and software systems.Quantum Computing Open Lab, or QCOL, is an early-stage project that aims to create a common environment for accessing quantum computing tools without requiring users to configure multiple programming frameworks or become experts in quantum programming.“QCOL is not just a tool; it’s the infrastructure the quantum industry needs to democratize access,” said Franci Laffita Camargo, Founder, QCOL. “We don’t know who will have the next great idea, but we want that person—wherever they are, whatever resources they have—to be able to try.”The project has produced a functional prototype and public demonstration and is assembling an international development team. QCOL’s organizers are also seeking to establish the project as a U.S. corporation as they move toward a more formal commercial structure.According to materials provided to The Quantum Insider, QCOL grew out of work to establish a quantum computing research group in Cuba.

The team found that running and demonstrating quantum software can require installing libraries, simulators and other tools associated with individual quantum computing platforms. It’s a problem familiar to most quantum researchers and students.QCOL’s developers began working on a browser-accessible environment intended to remove some of those technical barriers.The prototype combines several tools aimed at users with different levels of quantum computing experience.One component combines a visual quantum circuit composer with a code editor, allowing changes made through one interface to be reflected in the other. Another, called Quantum Notebook, combines instructional material with an environment in which users can experiment with quantum circuits and code.The larger goal is to create a software layer capable of supporting multiple quantum programming frameworks rather than tying users to a single vendor’s ecosystem.Quantum computing currently includes a range of hardware architectures, cloud services and software frameworks. Developers working across those systems can face different programming environments and interfaces, adding another layer of complexity to an already technically demanding field.QCOL is designed to sit above some of that complexity.

The team ultimately wants users to be able to work with different quantum systems through a common environment while allowing more experienced developers to build applications and tools within the platform.The project also envisions simpler “Quantum Apps” that could allow people without quantum programming expertise to use applications built around quantum systems. Artificial intelligence is being incorporated into the platform to assist with creating and working with quantum algorithms.QCOL remains under development, and its broader commercial and technical ambitions have yet to be demonstrated at scale.The project has a publicly accessible prototype and is participating in QWorld’s QIntern 2026 program, where an international team is working on a nuclear physics application intended to test the concept of making quantum tools accessible to specialists who are not quantum programmers.The team is now seeking to incorporate QCOL in the United States, which would give the project a formal structure for issuing shares, entering contracts, protecting intellectual property and potentially raising outside capital.Its longer-term ambitions are considerably larger. QCOL’s developers envision an open and neutral software ecosystem that could connect multiple quantum hardware providers and programming frameworks while providing a common foundation for applications.The team has compared that concept to the role operating systems such as Windows and Android played in classical computing, although quantum computing remains an immature industry and it is too early to determine whether a universal software layer will emerge — or what form it might take.TopicsShare Get the latest research, company news, and market intelligence every week. MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLEMore in Research The Quantum Insider (TQI) is the leading source for the latest quantum technology news, market intelligence, industry analysis, and data covering the global quantum ecosystem.NEWSROOMPLATFORMSERVICESCOMPANY© 2026 Resonance Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.A RESONANCE NETWORK PROPERTYOne of our team will be in touch to learn more about your requirements, and provide pricing and access options.Subscribe to our industry leading leading newsletter for the latest in quantum news and insights. Necessary cookies are always on to ensure the website works. Optional cookies help us understand how the site is used. Privacy Policy