IBM Invests $100M in Quantum-Centric Supercomputer Development With Partner Universities

IBM is investing $100 million in a new initiative to develop a 100,000-qubit quantum-centric supercomputer intended to support research in areas including climate change and clean energy

The University of Tokyo and the University of Chicago will work with IBM over the next decade to design and build the quantum systems’ components and underlying technologies, the company said Sunday.

The supercomputer is expected to offer new understandings of the dynamics of molecular processes and chemical reactions, which could enable researchers to identify materials for electric vehicle batteries, discover more energy-efficient fertilizers and model better methods to capture carbon.

IBM seeks to expand the initiative by partnering with the Department of Energy’s quantum hubs, the Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory.

Arvind Krishna, CEO and chairman of IBM, said the company has made significant progress on its mission to establish useful quantum technology globally, enabling it to explore and develop a new class of supercomputing powered by quantum.

The investment was announced at the G7 Summit in Japan.