Quantum Computing in APAC: Building Homegrown Hardware and Hybrid HPC-Quantum Platforms
The Asia–Pacific region’s quantum momentum was on full display as moderator Bob Sutor convened an all-star panel spanning national labs, platform providers, and startup builders: No-Weon Kang (KRISS), Jaegyoon Hahm (KISTI), Natasha Kovacs (SDT), Jie (Roger) Luo (Anyon Computing), and Shintaro Sato (Fujitsu).
“We don’t know the final solution yet… so we’re advancing multiple technologies while delivering what helps customers today.”
APAC’s scale—and diversity—frame the story. Panelists emphasized that while no single country can cover every modality, the region is leaning into superconducting qubits as today’s most mature path while continuing to explore alternatives (e.g., diamond spin and neutral atoms). Japan’s Fujitsu described a portfolio approach: advancing a 256-qubit superconducting system while investing in diamond spin research, with a customer-driven mandate to “provide the best technology to solve real problems.” Korea’s national institutes outlined a two-track strategy: build a homegrown quantum computer and, in parallel, procure systems now and integrate them with national supercomputing resources to accelerate user adoption.
That hybrid mindset—pairing quantum accelerators with HPC—surfaced repeatedly. KISTI is standing up cloud access that connects new quantum resources to established supercomputers, aiming to cultivate a robust software and user ecosystem long before fault-tolerant systems arrive. KRISS spotlighted Korea’s strengths in semiconductors, optics, telecom, and precision manufacturing, positioning its industrial base to supply critical parts, equipment, and materials into the global quantum value chain.
“We can’t wait for homegrown systems to mature—we’re procuring quantum now and integrating with supercomputers to grow the user base.”
From the startup side, Anyon Computing traced its roots from Caltech and Berkeley to a cross-Pacific buildout: science in California, engineering and production in Singapore, and manufacturing partnerships in Korea. Anyon is pursuing modular, networked superconducting architectures—connecting multiple chips with high-fidelity links to scale toward thousands (ultimately hundreds of thousands) of qubits without relying on single monolithic dies.
Software strategy was refreshingly pragmatic. SDT presented itself as a quantum ODM, supplying controllers and full-stack systems while remaining hardware-agnostic and curating best-in-class software partners for algorithms, SDKs, and compilers. Fujitsu and Anyon echoed an open, collaborative approach that meets users where they are—whether through open-source platforms, integrations with NVIDIA CUDA-Q, or cloud-accessible toolchains. The throughline: make quantum easier to use and grow the developer base now.
If APAC has a calling card, it’s sovereign capability with global cooperation. Panelists argued that national security and industrial competitiveness require domestic compute (HPC and quantum), even as the region leans on international partnerships to go faster. In short: build at home, collaborate abroad, and connect it all through software.
Why it matters
APAC isn’t just purchasing quantum—it’s manufacturing it, integrating it with HPC, and onboarding users. That combination of homegrown systems + hybrid infrastructure + software ecosystems is how early quantum value gets unlocked.
Session Photos
