IBM and Pasqal Partner to Pioneer Quantum-Centric Supercomputing

IBM and Pasqal, leaders in superconducting circuit and neutral atom-based quantum computers respectively, have announced their intention to collaborate on developing a unified approach to quantum-centric supercomputing.

This partnership aims to promote application research in chemistry and materials science, leveraging the strengths of both companies.

Together, IBM and Pasqal will collaborate with leading high-performance computing (HPC) institutions to lay the groundwork for quantum-centric supercomputing. This initiative seeks to integrate quantum computing with advanced classical computing, creating the next generation of supercomputers.

The partnership will focus on defining the software integration architecture necessary for a quantum-centric supercomputer. This architecture will orchestrate computational workflows across various quantum computers and advanced classical compute clusters. Both companies envision a common approach to integration based on open-source software, with active involvement from the technical community. IBM and Pasqal also plan to co-sponsor a regional HPC technical forum in Germany, with intentions to expand this effort globally.

A crucial objective of this partnership is to foster the utility-scale adoption of quantum computing in materials science and chemistry. By harnessing their leading roles in full-stack quantum computing, IBM and Pasqal aim to significantly advance quantum computing applications in these fields. They will collaborate with the Materials Working Group, established by IBM last year, to explore optimal methods for building utility-scale computation workflows using a hybrid of quantum and classical computation.

"Quantum-centric supercomputing represents the future of high-performance computing and is key to achieving near-term quantum advantages in chemistry, materials science, and other scientific applications. This collaboration with Pasqal ensures that this future remains open and hardware-agnostic, creating more value for our clients and users. We look forward to Pasqal joining us in bringing quantum-centric supercomputing to the world," said Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President of IBM Quantum.

Georges-Olivier Reymond, CEO of Pasqal, added, "Today marks a significant milestone in the quantum computing industry as we embark on this collaboration with IBM. We are excited to combine our efforts towards the ambitious goal of establishing business best practices for quantum-centric supercomputing. By harnessing the strengths of both technologies, we are ready to meet the accelerating needs and growing demands of our customers."

This partnership sets the stage for groundbreaking advancements in quantum-centric supercomputing, aiming to revolutionize industries and scientific research with enhanced computational capabilities.