Insider Brief
- Applications have opened for the Tennessee Quantum Hackathon, a 36-hour event where students will explore quantum technology applications for challenges in the electric power sector.
- The hackathon will bring together students, universities, utilities, research institutions, and quantum companies to develop and test quantum-based solutions using the qBraid platform.
- The event is part of Tennessee’s broader quantum ecosystem development efforts, including a National Science Foundation-funded initiative focused on quantum applications for the power grid.
Press release – Applications are now open for the Tennessee Quantum Hackathon hosted by The Company Lab (CO.LAB) in partnership with the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative (CQC) and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). The 36-hour innovation challenge will take place November 13–15 in Chattanooga.
College students from a range of disciplines will work in teams to explore how quantum technologies could help address complex challenges facing the electric power sector.
According to the McKinsey Quantum Technology Monitor 2026, quantum computing could create as much as $150 billion in value for the global electric power sector by 2035. With Tennessee’s strengths in energy, quantum research, quantum infrastructure, advanced computing, and entrepreneurship, organizers see an opportunity to engage emerging talent in exploring how the state’s energy sector could help realize some of that potential.
The Tennessee Quantum Hackathon brings together partners from across Tennessee’s growing quantum ecosystem, including higher education, research institutions, utilities and quantum technology companies. Organizations including UTC, EPB, Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) and Quantinuum (NASDAQ:QNT) are helping shape the experience by contributing expertise, perspectives and opportunities for participants to engage with the people advancing quantum technologies across the state.
“Innovation accelerates when people with different perspectives tackle the same challenge,” said Tasia Malakasis, CEO of The Company Lab. “The Tennessee Quantum Hackathon brings students, researchers, and industry leaders together around a real opportunity for Tennessee.”
Throughout the weekend, participants will work on challenge statements inspired by opportunities in the electric power sector while engaging with researchers, entrepreneurs, utility leaders and quantum technology experts. Partners are expected to contribute in a variety of ways, from helping shape challenge statements and sharing technical expertise to mentoring teams, evaluating final presentations and supporting participants as they explore quantum technologies.
Participants will build and test their solutions using qBraid, a cloud-based quantum development platform that provides a common environment for programming, simulation and access to quantum computing resources. The platform allows participants to experiment with quantum software development tools and, where available, quantum hardware while receiving guidance from technical experts throughout the competition.
“The Tennessee Quantum Hackathon creates another point of connection within work that is already happening across our state,” said Charlie Brock, CEO of the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative. “Researchers, entrepreneurs, utilities, universities and quantum companies each bring different strengths to Tennessee’s quantum future. This event creates an opportunity for participants to learn alongside those organizations, contribute fresh ideas and experience firsthand what collaboration looks like in a rapidly growing field.”
Previous experience with quantum computing is not required. Organizers are recruiting participants studying computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, energy, business, entrepreneurship, marketing and other disciplines that contribute to solving complex problems.
The event builds on growing collaboration across Tennessee’s quantum community and is funded in part by a $1.33 million National Science Foundation planning grant awarded to UTC to develop a blueprint for a QuantumGrid Innovation Hub. CQC, CO.LAB and EPB are partners in the effort, which is exploring how quantum technologies could contribute to a more secure and resilient electric power grid.
Applications are now being accepted from participants registering independently or as part of a team.
Visit the Tennessee Quantum Hackathon webpage to learn more or apply.
Facts Only
* Applications are open for the Tennessee Quantum Hackathon.
* The event is a 36-hour innovation challenge.
* The focus is on applying quantum technology to challenges in the electric power sector.
* Participants will develop and test quantum-based solutions using the qBraid platform.
* The hackathon will take place from November 13–15 in Chattanooga.
* It involves students, universities, utilities, research institutions, and quantum companies.
* Partners include UTC, EPB, Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, IonQ, and Quantinuum.
* Participants will build solutions using the qBraid platform for programming, simulation, and access to quantum computing resources.
* Participants are recruited from disciplines including computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, energy, business, and entrepreneurship.
* The event is supported by a National Science Foundation-funded initiative for quantum applications in the power grid.
Executive Summary
Applications are open for the Tennessee Quantum Hackathon, a 36-hour event focused on applying quantum technology to challenges in the electric power sector. The hackathon will involve students, universities, utilities, research institutions, and quantum companies developing solutions using the qBraid platform. The event is part of Tennessee’s broader quantum ecosystem development, which includes a National Science Foundation-funded initiative targeting quantum applications for the power grid. Applications are accepted from independent or team registrations.
The event is hosted by The Company Lab (CO.LAB) in partnership with the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative (CQC) and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), scheduled for November 13–15 in Chattanooga. Participants from various disciplines will work on challenges related to the electric power sector. Partners, including UTC, EPB, TVA, ORNL, IonQ, and Quantinuum, contribute expertise throughout the event. Solutions are built and tested using the qBraid platform, allowing experimentation with quantum software and access to resources.
Full Take
The narrative positions a specific intersection of state strengths—energy, quantum research, infrastructure, computing, and entrepreneurship—as a catalyst for addressing significant economic potential within the electric power sector. This framing leverages the substantial projected value of quantum computing in this industry ($150 billion by 2035) to create urgency and relevance for student participation and industry engagement. The structure effectively links academic exploration directly to tangible, large-scale infrastructure problems, utilizing a coalition of established entities (universities, utilities, national labs, commercial quantum firms) as anchors of credibility.
The pattern suggests an intentional effort to bridge the gap between theoretical quantum advancement and practical energy grid resilience through collaboration. By emphasizing that innovation accelerates when diverse perspectives tackle shared challenges, the organizers are not just seeking technical solutions; they are cultivating a distributed network where knowledge exchange itself becomes a core outcome. The explicit focus on assembling partners from the entire state’s quantum ecosystem indicates an attempt to solidify existing collaborative structures under a focused, high-profile event.
The implication is that focusing on the power grid—a critical infrastructure area—provides the necessary mandate for deploying nascent quantum skills. The challenge structure, requiring external expertise to mentor and guide participants alongside building solutions on a specific platform (qBraid), suggests a strategy of layered learning: exposure to real problems, application of specific tools, and direct engagement with established knowledge holders. The success hinges on whether this collaboration translates beyond the event into sustained operational partnerships that address the underlying infrastructure security concerns mentioned in the context of the QuantumGrid Innovation Hub.
Bridge Questions: How will the outcomes of this hackathon be integrated into existing utility planning processes? What mechanisms are in place to ensure equitable distribution of the developed quantum solutions across Tennessee's energy sector, beyond the direct involvement of participating partners? What long-term structural changes are being sought by funding initiatives like the QuantumGrid Innovation Hub that stem from these initial student explorations?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like a legitimate press release, effectively blending specific event details with contextual data to promote a collaborative research initiative.