NSWCDD Focuses on Quantum Computing with its First-Ever Hackathon

(Navsea.navy.mil) The Innovation Lab at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) hosted its first-ever hackathon in partnership with Microsoft June 2-4.
Participants were challenged to utilize Microsoft’s quantum computing toolkit to generate solutions to assigned problems.
“The Navy is at the forefront of quantum [computing] efforts and Microsoft is very excited to collaborate with the Navy and excited to do this hackathon with the Innovation Lab here at Dahlgren,” said Microsoft Technology Strategist Dr. Monica DeZulueta. “The caliber of people participating here is phenomenal.”
The event kicked off with a “quantum computing bootcamp” led by Microsoft quantum computing professionals. Participants in the hackathon – along with approximately 25 more eager quantum students who joined the event via Microsoft Teams – were introduced to quantum computing basics and the Q# programming language.
Quantum computing is a fundamentally different mode of computing from what has traditionally been in use. While classical computing relies on bits of 1s and 0s, quantum computing “qbits” can exist as 1s and 0s simultaneously.
“The goal of this hackathon is to get the workforce thinking about quantum computing,” said Innovation Lab Director Dr. John Rigsby.