Q-CTRL Partners with QUCAN to Offer Global Virtual Classroom Experience to Aspiring Quantum Professionals
- Q-CTRL
- Sep 16, 2025
- 3 min read
OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – September 16, 2025 – Q-CTRL, the global leader in quantum infrastructure software, today announced a partnership with QUCAN in support of its QC101 program to offer online quantum learning programs for any learner globally. Sessions start Sept. 27, 2025.
QC101 is an official event of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) organized by QUCAN, a global quantum center for learning. Q-CTRL’s involvement supports the company’s mission to support workforce development through quantum education during IYQ.
With this partnership, Black Opal, Q-CTRL’s award-winning interactive quantum learning platform, will be offered alongside QC101’s live lectures, expert talks, and industry sessions supported by educators from distinguished institutions and facilities. Black Opal uses visualizations, gamified lessons, and step-by-step tutorials to make complex quantum topics accessible for learners at any level of knowledge.
There are currently not enough people with the right skills to fill the open positions in the quantum industry, which could slow the overall growth of the ecosystem. According to Global Quantum Intelligence, an analyst firm dedicated to providing data and reports on the quantum industry, the demand for quantum talent is significantly outpacing the supply, and this fundamental talent gap remains one of the most significant challenges for the growing quantum ecosystem.
Accessible quantum education is the best way to prepare the next generation of workers for this critical technology, especially as there are many non-technical roles across the industry that do not require an advanced degree in product, design, marketing, and operations. Programs like QC101 can be leveraged by learners to make a meaningful entrance into the quantum industry without a PhD.
QUCAN participants will learn quantum principles in practical and hands-on ways with live, self-paced, community-driven, and AI-assisted components. QC101 launched this month and will offer two terms for the remainder of the year. The first cohort runs from September 27 to November 23, 2025, and the second from October 24 to December 21, 2025. Enrollment in either session includes one year of full access to all QC101 materials.
“The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology is about opening the door for everyone to engage in the quantum future,” said Mick Conroy, Product Manager for Black Opal at Q-CTRL. “Our collaboration with QUCAN brings that mission to life by integrating Black Opal into the QC101 program. Together we are making quantum concepts approachable for learners everywhere, and giving educators the tools to deliver hands-on, impactful training that prepares students for real opportunities in this rapidly advancing field.”
“As the world celebrates IYQ, we are committed to ensuring that learners everywhere can take part,” said Arda Abay, Founder of QUCAN. “Partnering with Q-CTRL allows us to deliver QC101 with the support of a powerful learning platform that makes complex ideas intuitive. By launching global cohorts this year, we aim to empower participants from every background to develop quantum-ready skills and contribute to the growing international ecosystem.”
"What our global workforce analysis shows is that the quantum industry isn't being built in corporate silos; it's a deeply collaborative ecosystem,” said André König, CEO of Global Quantum Intelligence. “As a global community, our most urgent task is to nurture this talent and tear the silos down. We must expand educational access and create frictionless pathways for collaboration to ensure the talent pipeline can keep pace with the extraordinary promise of this technology."
Both QC101 and Black Opal offer industry-recognized certificates and badges for completion, along with connections to the alumni and Black Opal communities on QUCAN’s Q-Network online forum, offering a global community of thousands of learners alongside intuitive learning opportunities.
Anyone interested in participating in the quantum era can enroll in the program on QUCAN’s website.
About Q-CTRL: Q-CTRL is a key player in the global quantum technology industry as a category-defining business for AI-driven quantum infrastructure software. Leading quantum computing hardware providers integrate its performance-management software with their superconducting and silicon-based platforms to deliver unprecedented capabilities to end users. The company’s global leadership in quantum sensing for defense and dual-use was featured in The New York Times. Q-CTRL also developed Black Opal, an award-winning edtech program that enables users to learn quantum computing quickly. Founded by Michael J. Biercuk in November 2017, Q-CTRL has assembled the world’s foremost team of expert quantum-control engineers, providing solutions to global quantum technology leaders, including Fortune 500 companies, startups, national research labs, and academic institutions. The company has international headquarters in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Oxford.
