CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 09, 2025 -- The Cleveland Clinic’s second annual Cleveland Discovery & Innovation Forum gathered international leaders to discuss how new technologies are transforming the future of medicine and patient care.

The forum, held April 7 at the Clinic’s main campus, highlighted healthcare advancements enabled by quantum computing, artificial intelligence and digital health.

The event included speakers from academia, industry, foundations, venture capital and government. Several new research announcements were made at the event, which was a collaboration with the National Science Foundation, the Clinic said.

“We created the Cleveland Discovery & Innovation Forum to bring together global leaders in research and innovation to explore how advanced computing can drive new discoveries and help improve healthcare for all patients,” said Dr. Lara Jehi, the Clinic’s chief research information officer.

“We need the best minds in medicine and technology to work together to solve healthcare’s toughest challenges,” Jehi said.

The Cleveland Discovery & Innovation Forum also highlighted cutting-edge research supported by the health system’s 10-year Discovery Accelerator partnership with IBM and the IBM Quantum System One, an advanced quantum computer that handles large amounts of data at lightning speeds.

In 2023, the Clinic unveiled the IBM Quantum System One on its main campus. The IBM Quantum was the first quantum computer in the world uniquely dedicated to healthcare research at the time, and it put Cleveland at the forefront of quantum computing and medical innovation.

At the forum, the Clinic also announced plans, in collaboration with UNESCO, to provide researchers in Africa with remote access to IBM Quantum System One. This initiative will allow researchers to use advanced computing technologies that were not accessible before, the health system said.

This year’s Cleveland Discovery & Innovation Forum was officially recognized as part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, led by UNESCO, the Clinic said.

Clinic leaders also moderated panels and fireside chats, and gave updates on the Clinic’s efforts to build the Ohio Discovery Corridor through its Cleveland Innovation District. The Ohio Discovery Corridor promotes collaboration between universities, industries and business startups.

The Ohio Discovery Corridor initiatives mentioned at the forum included:

• Cleveland Clinic Quantum Catalyzer Program, which provides quantum access to start-up companies.
• A partnership between Miami University and the Clinic to give students advanced education in quantum computing.