Ion Hack 2026 brings together quantum talent in Jülich

From March 11–13, 2026, the Ion Hack—jointly organized by JUNIQ at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) and eleQtron as part of the NRW-funded EPIQ project—took place at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The three-day hackathon brought together 27 participants across seven teams to work on challenges in quantum simulation and optimization, with a particular focus on trapped-ion quantum computing.

Participants ranging from students to industry experts collaborated intensively on approaches such as Variational Quantum Eigensolvers (VQE) and counterdiabatic techniques, developing solutions tailored to trapped-ion hardware. The event combined hands-on problem solving with close interaction between academia and industry, fostering a highly engaged and technically rich environment.

The winning team, “The Gate Keepers”, was awarded the €5,000 prize sponsored by eleQtron for their innovative implementation of a VQE approach, including advanced error-mitigation techniques. Ion Hack 2026 once again highlighted the importance of collaborative formats in advancing quantum technologies and strengthening the growing quantum ecosystem.