The future of quantum computing has just received a major boost with IBM’s announcement of the construction of the first fault-tolerant, large-scale quantum computer, a project that promises to redefine what is possible in technology and industry.

This computer, named IBM Quantum Starling, will be developed at IBM’s new quantum data center in Poughkeepsie, New York, and is expected to be operational in 2029. What makes this announcement extraordinary is not only the magnitude of the technological leap, but also the industrial revolution it can unleash. Starling will be able to perform 20,000 times more operations than current quantum computers. To put it in perspective, representing its complete computational state would require more memory than all the most powerful supercomputers on the planet combined.

How will the industry change?

From banks to pharmaceutical companies and logistics firms, the arrival of fault-tolerant quantum computers promises solutions to problems that were previously intractable:

• Pharmaceutical discovery: accelerating the development of new drugs through complex simulations that reduce research time and costs.
• Industrial and logistics optimization: reducing millions of variables to create more efficient routes, processes, and strategies.
• Computational chemistry: precise prediction of molecular structures that will take materials design to a new level.
• Finance and banking: new models for risk analysis, projections, and fraud detection.

The impact of this technology is destined not only to increase efficiency, but also to open new business opportunities and transform entire verticals.

IBM Quantum Starling: Scalable and Effective Innovation

The major breakthrough behind Starling lies in its approach to fault tolerance, one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing. IBM has developed an architecture based on logical qubits, using qLDPC (Quantum Low-Density Parity Check) codes, which reduce the number of physical qubits needed to correct errors by approximately 90%. This advance makes the scalability of quantum systems more practical and achievable.

IBM’s roadmap is equally ambitious. With key milestones such as Quantum Loon (2025), Kookaburra (2026), and Cockatoo (2027), Starling will stand as the first system capable of executing 100 million quantum operations using 200 logical qubits. But this is only the beginning: the next model, Blue Jay, will multiply these capabilities to reach 2,000 logical qubits and 1 billion operations.

What does this mean for technology companies?

At InnoIT, our mission is to support companies in adopting these future technologies, helping them identify relevant quantum use cases, rethink processes, and maximize their potential. What seems like science fiction today, in a few years quantum technologies like IBM Quantum Starling will be within reach of innovative companies willing to face the challenges of tomorrow. From personalized pharmaceutical design to unprecedented logistics optimization, quantum computing will be the ultimate ally for solving problems impossible to address with classical systems.