Collaboration expands quantum computing in Latin America and supports quantum machine learning for digital pathology
SANTIAGO, Chile, Boston, June 5, 2026 — Classiq and the Pontifical University of Chile (UC Chile) announced a joint research project to develop hybrid quantum algorithms for biomedical image analysis, leveraging the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform for classical machine learning and quantum classical computing.
The 12-month initiative, titled “Enhancing Pathology with Quantum Computing,” is funded through Avanza UC 2025, UC Chile’s internal research and creative competition. To the best of the collaborators’ knowledge, this is the first consortium announced in Latin America that combines quantum computing, machine learning, and computational pathology.
The partnership marks Classiq’s growing presence in Latin America with quantum computing and reflects the company’s expanding work with academic, research and public sector institutions, including health innovation. It also strengthens Chile’s new role in quantum computing, AI and advanced technology development.
Quantum machine learning applies quantum computing techniques to machine learning problems such as classification, pattern recognition, and complex data analysis. The initial focus of the project will be on renal pathology, an area of increasing public health importance in Chile and throughout Latin America. This includes applying quantum machine learning to computational pathology, with an initial focus on renal lesion classification, automatic glomerular segmentation, and semantic pattern search across complete histological slides.
The study is carried out in collaboration with Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) researchers Dr. Luciano Rebouzas and Dr. Washington Conrado, professor/researcher at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) in Brazil, and combines expertise in digital pathology, computer vision, and biomedical data analysis using selected histopathology datasets provided by Brazilian institutions. This research leverages the Classiq quantum computing software platform and the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform to take advantage of a seamless workflow from algorithm development to simulation to execution.
“Latin America has the scientific talent, institutional momentum, and public health needs to support the next phase of quantum computing applications,” said Nil Minervi, CEO and co-founder of Classiq. “This collaboration will integrate expertise in quantum software engineering, machine learning, and biomedical data into workflows and projects that will help strengthen the region’s quantum ecosystem while exploring practical research avenues for health.”
The project will be led by Dr. Dardo Goineche from the Department of Physics, Universidad Católica Pontificia de Chile. Dr. Goyneche is the founder and director of QuDIT, the University of California’s Quantum Development Information Theory Group, which brings together more than 20 students working on quantum information theory and quantum computing. He is also leading Project Quantü, Chile’s first universal quantum computer initiative, currently under construction at the University of California Department of Physics starting December 2025. The team also includes Dr. Daniel Uzcategui from Universidad Católica Santissima Concepción (UCSC) in Chile, whose work at the interface of machine learning and quantum information theory is an important bridge between the two core areas of this collaboration.
“This project combines fundamental quantum research with important biomedical challenges,” said Dr. Goyneche. “By working with Classiq and our collaborators in Chile and Brazil, we are building a regional platform for quantum machine learning in health, providing researchers with experience in modern quantum software engineering workflows used internationally in research and industry.”
The research team will use Classiq’s quantum software platform to model, synthesize, and optimize quantum convolutional neural networks, variational quantum classifiers, and quantum kernel methods. Selected algorithms are simulated on NVIDIA AI infrastructure, run on IonQ quantum hardware, and benchmarked against classical machine learning approaches using standard computer vision metrics.
This cooperation is in line with Chile’s National Strategy for Quantum Technologies 2025-2035. This is a recently launched government initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s quantum ecosystem and expanding national capabilities in advanced computing, secure communications and scientific innovation. The project will also support UC’s efforts to expand research and education in quantum computing as part of the Department of Physics’ 2025-2029 Strategic Plan.
About Universidad Católica Pontificia de Chile
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC Chile) is one of Latin America’s leading research universities dedicated to the creation and transmission of knowledge and the provision of an education based on values rooted in the Catholic tradition. With rigorous academic standards and international best practices adopted from top universities around the world, UC Chile remains perpetually committed to excellence in service to the Church and society.
Ranked 116th in the world and 1st in Chile in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, UC Chile is also number one in the country for invention patent applications by academic institutions, due to its focus on research, innovation and technology transfer. The university is comprised of 18 faculties, including 26 schools and institutes, 7 interdisciplinary institutes, the UC College Program, and the Villarrica campus, covering all fields of knowledge.
About Classic
Classiq is a leading quantum computing software company, delivering technology that enables businesses and researchers to access and leverage quantum computing. Classiq’s quantum software engineering platform automatically transforms high-level functional models into optimized, hardware-ready quantum circuits. This enables teams to develop algorithms faster, optimize cost and performance, and get quantum applications to use faster, without deep hardware expertise.
Through partnerships with global leaders in quantum cloud computing, including leading hyperscalers and hardware providers, Classiq ensures that customers such as Rolls-Royce, Comcast, BMW Group, and Intesa Sanpaolo can design once and deploy anywhere. Its synthesis technology workflow enables organizations to generate scalable and efficient quantum code that accelerates research and reduces execution costs.
Source: Classic
