Case Study: Boeing achieves a streamlined quantum approach to aerospace materials design with IBM Quantum

IBM and Boeing chart a streamlined quantum approach to one of the biggest challenges in aerospace engineering

Boeing needed a better way to engineer strong, lightweight ply composites for aircraft and spacecraft, since its design problems can involve 10,000 to 100,000 variables—far beyond what classical supercomputers can handle efficiently. IBM Quantum partnered with Boeing to explore whether quantum computing could help address this core aerospace challenge.

IBM and Boeing developed a streamlined quantum optimization method and tested a 40-variable model of the ply composite problem on a real IBM quantum computer, setting a then-record for the largest binary optimization problem run on quantum hardware. The work showed that IBM can help Boeing tackle a fraction of this complex problem more efficiently, bringing quantum-assisted design closer to practical use and accelerating Boeing’s readiness for future quantum applications.

Boeing

Marna Kagele

Technical Fellow