Challenges & Themes
The Quantum Impact Hackathon – Rabat 2026 focuses on the development of practical quantum computing solutions addressing real-world challenges with strong societal relevance. All challenges are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are inspired by ongoing development projects and strategic priorities in Morocco and across Africa.
Participants will work in multidisciplinary teams, supported by international mentors, to explore how quantum computing can offer novel approaches to complex problems that are difficult to tackle using classical methods alone.
Challenge Structure
Each challenge is designed to:
- be grounded in a realistic use case,
- encourage hands-on experimentation with quantum tools,
- allow contributions from participants with diverse backgrounds (physics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, data science),
- result in a proof of concept, prototype, or demonstrator, rather than a purely theoretical study.
Teams are encouraged to focus on:
- problem formulation and modeling,
- algorithmic ideas and feasibility,
- hybrid quantum–classical approaches,
- clarity of assumptions and impact.
Thematic Areas
SDG 3 – Health & Well-Being
Challenges under this theme explore how quantum computing and quantum machine learning could support healthcare-related problems relevant to Morocco and Africa.
Example challenge directions include:
- Quantum machine learning approaches for early disease detection or classification,
- Optimization of healthcare resource allocation,
- Quantum-inspired models for medical data analysis,
- Feasibility studies of quantum algorithms for problems in bioinformatics or epidemiology.
SDG 7 – Affordable & Clean Energy
This theme focuses on energy-related challenges, with particular attention to renewable energy systems and energy efficiency, which are key priorities in Morocco and across the African continent.
Example challenge directions include:
- Quantum optimization for renewable energy production and distribution,
- Scheduling and optimization of energy grids with high penetration of renewables,
- Quantum or hybrid approaches to energy storage and demand forecasting,
- Modeling complex energy systems using quantum simulation techniques.
SDG 13 – Climate Action
Challenges under this theme address climate-related issues, including environmental monitoring, climate modeling, and mitigation strategies.
Example challenge directions include:
- Quantum-enhanced approaches for climate or environmental modeling,
- Optimization problems related to emission reduction strategies,
- Analysis of complex environmental datasets using quantum-inspired methods,
- Feasibility studies of quantum algorithms for climate-relevant simulations.
Flexibility in SDG Selection
While the hackathon highlights SDG 3 (Health), SDG 7 (Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) as priority themes, teams are not strictly limited to these goals.
Participants may propose to work on other Sustainable Development Goals, provided that:
- the problem remains relevant to the African and/or Moroccan context,
- the use case has clear societal or developmental impact,
- the proposed direction is discussed and validated in coordination with the mentors.
This flexibility is intended to encourage creativity, interdisciplinarity, and alignment with emerging or cross-cutting priorities.
Expected Outcomes
At the end of the hackathon, each team is expected to deliver:
- a clear problem statement and motivation,
- a description of the quantum approach considered,
- a prototype, simulation, or algorithmic proof of concept,
- a short presentation highlighting feasibility, limitations, and potential impact.
Evaluation will emphasize:
- relevance of the problem,
- appropriateness of the quantum approach,
- clarity and originality,
- teamwork and communication.
Tools & Platforms
Participants will be encouraged to use widely accessible quantum computing platforms and frameworks, such as:
- Qiskit and IBM Quantum resources,
- hybrid quantum–classical workflows,
- classical simulators when appropriate.
No prior access to quantum hardware is required.