IBM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute installed the world's first quantum computer, IBM Quantum System One, at the university. It is noted that this system will be used for scientific research conducted at the university. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York has made history as the first university to have a campus-based quantum computer installed for use in scientific research.

While Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has introduced a campus-based quantum computer that can be used for scientific discoveries, IBM has announced that the new IBM System One quantum computer draws its power from the 127-qubit processor named "Eagle." This quantum processing unit (QPU) was actually introduced in 2021. Last year, it was showcased in the System One machine used by the University of Tokyo, but that system was not campus-based.

IBM Quantum System One can be used for education and research purposes by other academic institutions and organizations in the New York area that also want to collaborate with IBM and RPI. The faculty, researchers, students, and colleagues who can access the system will work on quantum computing research, including developing quantum algorithms that can provide quantum advantage. Jamie Garcia, IBM Quantum's Technical Program Director for Algorithms and Partnerships, stated, "Simply put, quantum computers are now better than classical supercomputers at managing quantum circuits. This means, for the first time in history, quantum computers can be used as computational tools for scientific discoveries."