IBM Announced the complete installation of a 127-qubit quantum computing system at the University of Tokyo on November 27. According to the company, this marks the arrival of the first “utility-scale” quantum system to the region.
[Article] University of Tokyo completes installation of 127-Qubit IBM Quantum Eagle processorhttps://t.co/TrFAnEQ3wq
— UTokyo | University of Tokyo (@UTokyo_News_en) November 27, 2023
The system, called "Quantum System One" by IBM and featuring the company's Eagle processor, was installed as part of an ongoing research partnership between Japan and IBM. According to an IBM blog post, it will be used to conduct research in various fields, including bioinformatics, materials science, and finance.
According to Hiroaki Aihara, executive vice president of the University of Tokyo:
“For the first time outside of North America, a quantum computer with a 127-qubit processor is now available for exclusive use by QII members…By promoting research in a wide range of fields and achieving social implementation of technologies related to quantum, our goal is to make a broad contribution to a future society with diversity and hope.”
As Japan and the University of Tokyo reap the benefits of working with an American quantum computing partner, China's second-largest tech company, Alibaba, has decided shutter his own quantum computing lab and will reportedly donate his equipment to Zhejiang University.
Local media reports indicate Alibaba's move is a cost-cutting measure and dozens of employees associated with the quantum research lab have been laid off. This follows the cancellation of a planned cloud computing spin-off earlier this month, when Alibaba claimed that the United States' partial ban on exporting computer chips to China has contributed to “uncertainty”.
Related: US official confirms military concerns about China's access to cloud technology
The quantum computing sector is expected to grow by more than $5.5 billion between 2023 and 2030, according to estimates by Fortune Business Insights. This has led some experts to worry about the state of quantum computing research in areas outside the United States and China.
Koen Bertels, founder of quantum computing accelerator QBee and professor at Ghent University in Belgium, recently opined that Europe had already lost the artificial intelligence race and could not afford to lose in quantum computing.
"In addition to being behind in funding, talent and strategy," Bertels wrote, "Europe is not only competing against the United States."
Post navigation
