The company will compete with the likes of Google and IBM for the Japanese quantum computing business.
Fujitsu partnered with the Riken research institute to offer quantum computing capabilities to companies operating in Japan, according to a report in Nikkei Asia. The announcement comes after Fujitsu claimed to have built the world’s fastest quantum computing simulator earlier this year
Now Fujitsu plans to become Japan’s first domestic company to commercialize quantum computing. The organization hopes to become operational in Q2 of 2023, according to the report. Quantum computing in Japan has so far been dominated by US tech giants like Google and IBM.
It’s set to deploy a method of computing that uses a superconductive circuit cooled to very low temperatures to eliminate electrical resistance. The computers are expected to be used in areas like financial forecasting and the research and development of new materials and medicines.
Fujitsu’s computer will have 64 qubits, way up from Google’s 53 qubit Sycamore machine, which has been operating since 2019. IBM will still be offering the most powerful system, which has been operating at 127 qubits since it was first set up in Kawasaki city in 2021.
Fujitsu reportedly stated it aims to create a computer that contains over 1,000 qubits. The organization doesn’t expect the system to appear until after April 2026, according to the Nikkei Asia report.
A ‘logical step’ for Fujitsu
The commercialization of quantum services is seen as a logical next step for Fujitsu, according to a report in ITPro. The company already has a number of research projects in operation, including a research base it opened in 2021 in Wako city. The base, located in the Saitama prefecture, is designed to develop quantum computers with Riken. There are around 20 researchers participating in the project, according to the report.
Google recently bolstered its Australian quantum computing initiative by adding two new universities to the program while expanding its investment with two others. The initiative came as part of a $1 billion investment in Australian infrastructure and research to help build the country’s future digital infrastructure.
The research will cover subjects like quantum algorithms or quantum hardware research, according to ITPro. There will also be university teams seeking ways to make the new technology useful and accessable, they say.
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