Chattanooga to Host Tennessee Quantum Hackathon

Chattanooga, Tennessee – Applications are now open for the Tennessee Quantum Hackathon, scheduled for November 13–15 in Chattanooga. Hosted by The Company Lab (CO.LAB) in partnership with the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative (CQC) and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the event is a 36-hour innovation challenge.

College students from various disciplines will form teams to explore how quantum technologies can address complex challenges within the electric power sector. This initiative aims to leverage the growing potential of quantum computing, which McKinsey predicts could generate up to $150 billion in value for the global electric power industry by 2035.

The hackathon brings together key players from Tennessee's expanding quantum ecosystem, including higher education, research institutions, utilities, and quantum technology companies. Organizations such as UTC, EPB, Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, IonQ, and Quantinuum are contributing expertise and mentorship to guide participants.

Participants will develop and test their solutions using qBraid, a cloud-based quantum development platform. This platform provides a unified environment for programming, simulation, and accessing quantum computing resources. Prior quantum computing experience is not required, and organizers encourage students from fields like computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, energy, business, and marketing to apply.