Today, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and the University at Albany announced a new collaboration to push the boundaries of computer technology and its applications, leveraging their respective strengths and formidable assets for the benefit of the Capital Region, New York, and the nation.

This collaboration between the region’s leading research institutions is supported by recent key investments in computing infrastructure. This week, RPI prepares for the grand opening of the IBM Quantum System One on its campus, the first installation at a higher educational institution in the world. Earlier this year, UAlbany installed the first prototype IBM Artificial Intelligence Unit (AIU) computing cluster at any university in the world.

Researchers at each university will have many exciting opportunities to work together. Scientists at UAlbany’s RNA Institute, for example, may use the IBM Quantum System One to further their cutting-edge work in modeling new drugs and other treatments for RNA diseases. Researchers at RPI, meanwhile, can collaborate with the UAlbany-IBM Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems to use the AIU to explore the frontiers of more energy-efficient low-precision AI computing in applications such as computer vision.

RPI and UAlbany are poised to discover applications for quantum and artificial intelligence tools that will support technology industries in the Capital Region, New York, and beyond. 

“When universities work together, communities and economies flourish. As RPI continues to advance research and workforce development in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and now quantum computing, partnering with neighboring institutions will further establish the Capital Region as a technology capital,” said RPI President Martin Schmidt ’81, Ph.D.

“A deeper partnership between the Capital Region’s two leading research institutions will yield more impactful research in service of the public good and more significant economic benefits for New York,” said UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez. “Together, our scientists can put the full potential of our computing resources to work in fields like biotechnology and AI. President Schmidt and I immediately recognized the enormous promise of leveraging the combined expertise of RPI and UAlbany. I am grateful for his partnership and look forward to the exciting and innovative collaborations to come.” 

Schmidt and Rodriguez will come together with IBM leaders, elected officials, and other special guests on Friday, April 5, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the IBM Quantum System One on the RPI campus.