The first privately owned quantum computer in Japan was launched by Fujitsu

A quantum computer has been jointly developed by Fujitsu, according to the technology group on Thursday. This is a first for a private Japanese company.

At a press conference in Wako, Saitama prefecture, to commemorate the quantum computing platform becoming accessible for use by outside businesses and research institutions, Shintaro Sato, head of Fujitsu's quantum laboratory, said, "This is a huge achievement."

In order to establish a collaboration center in Wako, where both parties worked on developing the quantum computer, Fujitsu partnered with the government-sponsored research organization Riken in 2021.

This is the second quantum computer created in Japan; Riken unveiled the first one in March. Both quantum computers use superconducting circuits that are stored at extremely low temperatures and run at 64 qubits each.

Since quantum computing is still in its infancy, using it independently for practical computation is still not feasible. To increase computing capacity, Fujitsu intends to combine its quantum computer with supercomputer technology.

In order to put the quantum computer to use in real applications, such as running computations on it to analyze molecule structures and material qualities, Fujitsu will carry out research. By utilizing the capabilities of quantum computers, it seeks to ultimately increase the effectiveness of material and medication research.

Fujitsu intends to collaborate with user companies to amass knowledge of efficient computing techniques. The initial partners include Tokyo Electron, Fujifilm, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, and Mizuho-DL Financial Technology.

Tsuyoshi Moriya, a representative of Tokyo Electron, stated that he believes the technology will be applied to develop new materials and make advancements in the production of more integrated semiconductors.