The launch of the second edition of the Road to Practitioner programme reinforces the growing interest in quantum computing in the Basque Country.

The Road to Practitioner (R2P) programme kicked off at the Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao with the aim of training the various players in the Basque quantum ecosystem in programming with Qiskit and giving them a practical and rigorous introduction to the field of quantum computing. This face-to-face session served as the opening event for a programme that will run over three months and combine conceptual training, practical exercises and a Capstone Project as the final assignment.

Through this training programme, participants will have the opportunity to delve deeper into key areas such as quantum algorithms, quantum machine learning, error mitigation and quantum circuit design, among others. This approach is particularly relevant for the business world, as it allows companies to begin to identify, define and develop specific use cases in which the capabilities of quantum computing can become a differentiating factor, enabling significant – and even potentially exponential – improvements in areas such as optimisation, complex system simulation and advanced data analysis.

The inaugural session was a resounding success and was attended and supervised by experts from IBM Quantum, providing participants with their first direct contact with the programme's content and methodology. The event also included the participation of Javier Aizpurua, scientific director of Basque Quantum, who shared BasQ's strategic vision and the role that training and talent development play in consolidating the Basque quantum ecosystem.

Another highlight of the day was the contribution of the BasQ Advocates, members of the BasQ community who play an active role in disseminating knowledge, developing talent and strengthening collaboration between the different agents in the territory. Throughout the programme, these Advocates will mentor the different working groups and lead the planned practical sessions.
The initial face-to-face session also encouraged interaction between participants, facilitating the exchange of views and the establishment of contacts, as well as the resolution of initial doubts thanks to the proximity of IBM professionals and BasQ Advocates.

Community diversity as a key factor for success
One of the most relevant aspects of this edition of Road to Practitioner is the diversity of profiles represented, which includes students from different undergraduate and master's degree programmes, university professors, business professionals – from entities such as Iberdrola, Petronor, Multiverse Computing, Global Data Quantum, Quantum Mads, Quantum Motion, Ayesa, CAF, IDOM and LKS Next, among others – as well as research staff from leading centres such as the Donostia International Physics Centre (DIPC) and CIC nanoGUNE.
The high level of enthusiasm and scientific curiosity marked the opening day of a strategic programme that reaffirms BasQ's commitment to training and consolidating the Basque quantum community. Initiatives such as Road to Practitioner contribute decisively to strengthening the role of Basque Quantum as a driver of technological development and talent in the field of quantum computing in the Basque Country.