Not just physics: Quantum to make business case at Chattanooga conference - Chattanooga Times Free Press

EPB knows most businesses don't have a clear idea of how quantum technology could be useful to them. That's why the Chattanooga utility is hosting its inaugural "Quantum in Business" conference.The conference agenda includes discussions with titles like "Why This Is a Business Conversation, Not a Physics One" and "How Quantum Moves from Campus to Company." The event will bring together politicians, quantum scientists and business executives for a full day of events at the Westin hotel Oct. 1.The conference comes shortly after EPB launched its quantum computer, the IonQ Forte Enterprise. Companies will be able to use the machine to solve business problems.The conference will bring attendees close to the EPB Quantum Center, the first facility to combine commercial quantum computing and networking in one place, EPB officials said.(READ MORE: IonQ creating research, development center in Chattanooga)"What we are focused on is making sure that businesses know that there's value in it now," EPB spokesperson Sophie Moore said of the conference in an interview. "They can come to this one-of-a-kind site and start solving the problems that today's classical computers can't around optimization and risk."Speakers scheduled for the conference include Niccolo de Masi, CEO and chair of Maryland-based IonQ; state Sen. Bo Watson, R-North Chattanooga; Colin Soutar, a managing director at Deloitte; Shaun Gleason, director of partnerships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Matt Cimaglia, founding and managing partner at Quantum Coast Capital.Registration for the conference is full, but EPB is accepting names on its waitlist. The utility announced the Quantum in Business conference in June.Photo GalleryQuantum to make business case at Chattanooga conference Quantum computing could create up to $2.7 trillion of worldwide economic value by 2035, according to a recent analysis by McKinsey Technology.Several companies are already tapping into the potential for the next generation of computers, said Scott Millard, chief business officer at IonQ."Most of the larger companies today have small quantum teams, some larger quantum teams, doing the work to develop the algorithms so they ultimately can support the use cases and business outcomes they know will come with more powerful and more powerful machines," Millard said in an interview. "A lot of that work is happening today."(SIGN UP: Get Business news from the Times Free Press in your inbox five days a week by going to timesfreepress.com/business)While quantum computing is in an early stage of development, it can help companies in several areas, according to EPB. These include fraud detection in the finance sector, route optimization for trucking companies and drug discovery for pharmaceutical manufacturers.Tasia Malakasis, CEO of The Company Lab in Chattanooga, said in an emailed update Thursday that the city and its partners are opening opportunities to commercialize quantum. She wrote from the Quantum World Congress in Maryland.The Company Lab, also known as Co.Lab, will launch a 12-week "quantum commercialization studio" in November to help start-ups and researchers develop quantum companies."The quantum economy is still taking shape," Malakasis said. "The communities that matter in it will be the ones that can connect breakthrough technology to real industries, real customers and real opportunities to build. Chattanooga is putting those pieces together now."Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Daniel Dassow ddassow@timesfreepress.com Daniel Dassow is a business reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He earned degrees in English and religious studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2023, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beacon. He previously worked as a tech and energy reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel. He is the youngest of six siblings. Contact him at 423-757-6318 or ddassow@timesfreepress.com. Title X Did you mean: Sign In With Email OR Opt-in for our Morning newsletter. Opt-in for SMS Updates. Create an Account Comments Popular Stories Upcoming Events