Why You Should Apply to the GenQ Hackathon in Calgary Now
The Calgary edition of the GenQ Hackathon brings the North American quantum ecosystem together to explore use cases of the 21st-century's most important technology.
At the GenQ Hackathon organised by QAI Ventures Canada powered by Quantum City in Calgary (Alberta, Canada), quantum technology, innovation, and sustainability enthusiasts are invited to 48 hours of ideation, brainstorming, and prototyping on how quantum can usher in social change.
Below are five reasons why you should apply to the GenQ Hackathon now.
1. Create impact by using quantum to solve real-world problems
According to a 2024 report by the global management consulting firm McKinsey, quantum technology could create value worth trillions of dollars within the next decade, while the World Economic Forum predicts that “quantum technology will speed processing by order of magnitude compared to conventional computing, and impact all key economic sectors over the next ten years.” Quantum technology thus has the potential to transform industries and address some of the most pressing issues of the 21st century, such as food scarcity, health issues, clean energy supply, sustainable industrialization, and climate change. The GenQ Hackathon provides a supportive environment for students, entrepreneurs, programmers, web designers, and innovators to focus exclusively on exploring quantum for 48 hours and creating a real-world use case.
2. Make the world a better place by addressing the challenges associated with the SDGs
Quantum technology can contribute to solving pressing global challenges. Explore quantum’s potential to contribute to the following five sustainable development goals (SGD) defined by the United Nations at the GenQ Hackathon:
Zero hunger: end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
Good health and well-being: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Affordable and clean energy: ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Industry, innovation, and infrastructure: build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
Climate action: take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
3. Connect with like-minded people to realize your ideas
The Calgary edition of the GenQ Hackathon is your chance to meet like-minded people and team up to ideate, brainstorm, create prototypes, and test your business cases together. “Hackathons are an ideal breeding ground to connect tech, innovation, and sustainability enthusiasts with complementary skill sets and lay the foundation for quantum tech use cases tackling challenges currently faced by humanity,” says Thomas Landis, COO and Head of Accelerator at QAI Ventures.
4. Expand your knowledge and know-how through collaboration
Corporate sponsors can define challenges for the participants to work on and will collaborate closely with the teams to realize their business ideas and create real-world use cases. Experienced mentors will support the hackathon teams by sharing their knowledge, expertise, and know-how while quantum hardware companies provide critical infrastructure. The GenQ Hackathon will end with a final pitch competition, during which the teams present their solutions to a jury and receive feedback.
5. Get the chance to take your quantum tech business case to the next level
Selected teams will be invited to a boot camp to develop their use cases further and receive additional support from QAI Ventures, industry partners, and mentors. After the boot camp, the teams can apply for the first batch of the accelerator program in Canada, a unique program tailored to support entrepreneurs and innovators through investments, coaching, network opportunities, and premium access to cutting-edge technology. At the GenQ Hackathon, teams can also win a golden ticket to a speed dating event with industry partners.