IBM Research is the research and development division of IBM. With over 3,000 researchers across 12 labs on 6 continents, IBM Research is one of the largest industrial research organizations in the world. They have produced many pioneering inventions and developments in various fields of computer science and technology.
History
IBM Research was founded in the early 1930s when IBM created the Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory at Columbia University. This lab focused on astronomical calculations and IBM’s early computing projects. In the 1950s and 60s, IBM Research labs were opened around the United States. The current structure and focus areas of IBM Research were established when IBM created the San Jose Research Laboratory in California in 1952. This lab went on to make several monumental technological achievements, including magnetic disk storage, the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chip, and RISC architecture.
Over the decades, IBM Research has produced 5 Nobel Laureates, 9 US National Medals of Technology, 5 US National Medals of Science, 6 Turing Awards, and 10 Inductees to the US Inventors Hall of Fame. This outstanding record highlights IBM Research’s contributions to science and technology.
Locations
Today, IBM Research operates global labs in New York, California, Switzerland, Israel, India, China, Brazil, Ireland, and Australia. Each lab has specializations in fields like quantum computing, AI, cloud computing, IoT, blockchain, etc. Some key IBM Research locations are:
- Thomas J. Watson Research Center: IBM’s headquarters in Yorktown Heights, New York focuses on AI, quantum computing, cloud, etc.
- Almaden Research Center: Located in California’s Silicon Valley, this lab focuses on storage systems, data science, and services research.
- Zurich Research Laboratory: IBM’s leading lab in Europe, specializing in nanotechnology, quantum computing, blockchain, and AI.
- IBM Haifa Research Lab: Located in Israel, this lab conducts pioneering work in AI, healthcare, software services, etc.
By having a global presence, IBM Research can leverage expertise and ideas from leading researchers around the world. They also have their “finger on the pulse” of emerging technologies globally.
Focus Areas and Achievements
IBM Research explores various fields of science and technology. Here are some of their key focus areas and achievements:
Artificial Intelligence
IBM has been a pioneer in AI research since the 1950s. Some key achievements include:
- Deep Blue: The first computer to defeat a world chess champion in 1997.
- Watson: The AI system that won Jeopardy! in 2011 by beating human contestants.
- Project Debater: The first AI system to debate humans on complex topics.
Today, IBM Research continues to advance state-of-the-art AI with projects in areas like computer vision, NLP, optimization algorithms, IoT AI, and bias detection.
Quantum Computing
IBM unveiled its first quantum computer prototype in 2017. Since then, IBM has rapidly advanced quantum computing:
- Their latest quantum computer, Eagle, has 127 qubits.
- IBM Quantum System One is the first integrated quantum computing system for commercial use.
- IBM offers free cloud access to its quantum computers through IBM Quantum Experience.
IBM Research continues to innovate on hardware, software, and applications for quantum advantages.
Semiconductors
IBM Research has made seminal contributions to semiconductor technology and manufacturing, such as:
- Inventing DRAM memory chips in the 1960s.
- Pioneering copper interconnects and Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) in chip fabrication.
- Developing new techniques like 3D chip stacking and graphene transistors.
Ongoing projects aim to extend Moore’s Law and enable faster, more powerful chips.
Cloud Computing
IBM Research made foundational contributions to virtualization, containers, open-source cloud software and other technologies that enabled cloud computing in the 2000s. Today, they continue to innovate in areas like:
- Serverless computing platforms
- IoT cloud services
- Cloud security, resilience and compliance
These innovations help strengthen IBM’s cloud offerings like IBM Cloud and RedHat OpenShift.
Blockchain
IBM Research is also spearheading enterprise blockchain platforms:
- They created the Hyperledger open source project for business blockchains.
- IBM Food Trust uses blockchain to track global food supply chains.
- TradeLens is a blockchain platform for global shipping logistics, co-developed with Maersk.
Their blockchain focus helps enterprises leverage blockchain for transparency and efficiency.
Healthcare and Life Sciences
IBM Research is using techniques like AI and analytics to advance healthcare. Select achievements include:
- Medical Sieve AI system for radiology and cardiology
- Microfluidics technology for faster drug testing
- Blockchain solutions for healthcare data security
Ongoing initiatives aim to apply IBM’s expertise in other areas to transform healthcare.
Sustainability
IBM Research is also using technology to promote environmental sustainability. Their work includes:
- AI models to predict weather and climate change
- Green Horizons initiative to use AI/IoT for environmental insights
- Smarter Buildings portfolio to optimize energy in facilities
IBM Research is leading technology innovation for a sustainable future.
Focus Area | Key Contributions and Achievements |
---|---|
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Blue, Watson, Project Debater, computer vision and NLP models |
Quantum Computing | IBM Eagle 127 qubit quantum computer, IBM Quantum System One, IBM Quantum Experience platform |
Semiconductors | Inventing DRAM memory, pioneering 3D chip stacking and graphene transistors |
Cloud Computing | Virtualization, containers, open source cloud platforms, serverless computing |
Blockchain | Hyperledger, IBM Food Trust, TradeLens shipping blockchain platform |
Healthcare | Medical Sieve AI, microfluidics, blockchain for healthcare data security |
Sustainability | AI for weather/climate modeling, Green Horizons initiative, Smarter Buildings portfolio |
Publications and Patents
IBM Research is highly prolific in terms of peer-reviewed publications and patents earned annually:
- IBM earns over 8000 patents every year – topping US patent rankings for 28 consecutive years.
- IBM Research publishes 3000-4000 papers in top journals and conference proceedings annually.
- They have published seminal papers in areas like deep learning, quantum computing, storage technologies, and more.
The large volume of patents and publications indicates the productivity and technical strength of IBM Research.
Examples of Recent Notable Papers
- “Hybrid quantum-classical hierarchy for mitigating read and write noise in quantum memory” – Introduces error mitigation protocols for NISQ devices (Nature, 2020)
- “Photonics for artificial intelligence and neuromorphic computing” – Proposes optical computing approaches for AI acceleration (Nature Review Materials, 2020)
- “Accelerating medical device innovation through collaboration: The MDIC’s Advancing Breakthrough Medical Device Concepts Toward Commercialization program” – Discusses a public-private program to accelerate healthcare innovations (Nature Biotechnology, 2020)
These sample papers demonstrate how IBM Research is driving progress at the frontiers of science and technology.
Collaborations
IBM Research actively partners with various organizations and academia:
- They partner with universities on joint research initiatives, faculty awards and PhD fellowships.
- Strategic partnerships are in place with technology leaders like Samsung and Research Alliance institutions.
- They collaborate with businesses, government labs and consortium groups on open innovations.
Some examples of collaborative programs include:
- MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab – Partnership with MIT on AI research.
- IBM Q Network – Over 100 organizations collaborating on quantum computing.
- COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium – IBM Research helped found this industry consortium to share computing resources for COVID-19 research.
These partnerships amplify the impact of IBM Research across the scientific community.
Leadership and People
IBM Research has very experienced leadership driving their global research agenda:
- Director: Dr. Dario Gil – PhD in AI/CISE, led IBM Research since 2019
- VP Quantum Computing: Dr. Jay Gambetta – PhD in quantum computing, leads IBM’s quantum program
- VP AI: Dr. John Smith – Leading authority in AI, previously headed MIT CSAIL
The senior leadership provides scientific vision and business acumen. IBM Research also employs many world-class scientists, engineers, developers, and business leaders. The caliber of talent gives IBM Research tremendous capabilities to deliver meaningful innovations.
Funding
As one of the largest industrial research organizations, IBM Research has abundant financial resources for R&D projects. Some key facts on their funding:
- Annual budget estimated at $6 billion, but not publicly disclosed
- They have dedicated funding for strategic growth areas like quantum, blockchain, AI, cloud etc.
- Venture capital arms like IBM Ventures provide additional funding for commercialization of innovations.
Steady R&D investments have enabled IBM Research to build world-class facilities and talent with long-term vision. The financial strength allows them to undertake bold projects that shape the future of technology.
Awards and Recognition
The phenomenal contributions of IBM Research to science and technology have garnered major awards and honors. These include:
- 9 US National Medals of Technology
- 5 US National Medals of Science
- 6 Turing Awards
- 10 Inductees into National Inventors Hall of Fame
- Record 28 years topping US Patent Rankings
Individual researchers have also earned prestigious distinctions like Nobel Prizes, IEEE Medals, ACM Awards, and election to academies of engineering/science. The steady recognition across decades confirms the excellence of IBM Research.
Benchmarking Against Competitors
IBM Research compares very favorably against rival corporate research divisions in the tech industry:
Research Lab | Key Metrics |
---|---|
IBM Research | Budget: ~$6 billion (estimated) Papers: 3000-4000 per year Patents: 8000+ per year Researchers: 3000+ Locations: 12 global labs |
Microsoft Research | Budget: ~$16 billion (estimated) Papers: 2100 per year Patents: 2500+ per year Researchers: 1000+ Locations: 7 global labs |
Google Research | Budget: Not disclosed Papers: 900+ per year Patents: 1000+ per year Researchers: ~1000 Locations: Across Google offices globally |
Facebook Research | Budget: Not disclosed Papers: 1800+ per year Patents: 400+ per year Researchers: 1000+ Locations: 3 key labs |
While Microsoft spends more on research, IBM Research outpaces its peers on research output and innovation benchmarks like papers, patents, honors and historic contributions. They have effectively leveraged their six decade heritage and scale to produce high-impact R&D.
Conclusion
In summary, the track record, achievements and capabilities make a compelling case for IBM Research being one of the world’s premier industrial research organizations. They have pioneered innovations spanning over eight decades that have helped shape the evolution of modern computing. Today, they continue to produce innovations in emerging tech that will transform the future of business and society. Their contributions in quantum, AI, cloud, blockchain and other strategic focus areas position them well for the next decade of technological progress. Of course, IBM faces fierce competition now from the research arms of companies like Microsoft, Google and Facebook. But the depth of talent, facilities, investments and vision makes IBM Research a leading driver of scientific progress worldwide. Their success over generations is a testament to their excellence in industrial research.