Ibm Launches 1st Quantum System Two In Japan Linked With Supercomputer

KOBE, Japan, June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, today unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two ever to be deployed outside of the United... The availability of this system also marks a milestone as the first quantum computer to be co-located with RIKEN's supercomputer Fugaku — one of the most powerful classical systems on Earth. This effort is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an organization under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)'s "Development of Integrated Utilization Technology for... IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is powered by IBM's 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron, the company's best performing quantum processor to-date. IBM Heron's quality as measured by the two-qubit error rate, across a 100-qubit layered circuit, is 3x10-3 (with the best two-qubit error being 1x10-3) — which is 10 times better than the previous generation... IBM Heron's speed, as measured by the CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) metric is 250,000, which reflects another 10x improvement in the past year, over IBM Eagle.

At a scale of 156 qubits, with these quality and speed metrics, Heron is the most performant quantum processor in the world. This latest Heron is capable of running quantum circuits that are beyond brute-force simulations on classical computers, and its connection to Fugaku will enable RIKEN teams to use quantum-centric supercomputing approaches to push forward... The new IBM Quantum System Two is co-located with Fugaku within the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), Japan's premier high-performance computing (HPC) center. The computers are linked through a high-speed network at the fundamental instruction level to form a proving ground for quantum-centric supercomputing. This low-level integration allows RIKEN and IBM engineers to develop parallelized workloads, low-latency classical-quantum communication protocols, and advanced compilation passes and libraries. Because quantum and classical systems will ultimately offer different computational strengths, this will allow each paradigm to seamlessly perform the parts of an algorithm for which it is best suited.

This quantum computer expands IBM's global fleet of quantum computers, and was officially launched during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 24, 2025, in Kobe, Japan. The event featured opening remarks from RIKEN President Makoto Gonokami; Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President of IBM Quantum; Akio Yamaguchi, General Manager of IBM Japan; as well as local parliament members and... IBM, in collaboration with Japan’s RIKEN research institute, has launched the first IBM Quantum System Two in Japan — marking the first deployment of the advanced quantum computing system outside the United States and... The system is co-located with the powerful supercomputer Fugaku at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe. This strategic integration enables researchers to explore hybrid computing by linking IBM’s latest 156-qubit Heron quantum processor with one of the world’s leading classical machines. Supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), this initiative is part of a national effort to build post-5G communication and computational...

The IBM Heron processor represents a significant leap in quantum performance. It boasts a two-qubit error rate of 3x10⁻³ (with the best performance at 1x10⁻³), and a processing speed of 250,000 CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) — both ten times better than its predecessor,... This positions Heron as the most performant quantum processor in the world, capable of running circuits beyond the capability of classical simulation. By connecting Heron to Fugaku, RIKEN and IBM are pioneering quantum-centric supercomputing approaches. This collaboration allows for low-latency communication between the two systems, enabling new possibilities in algorithm design, simulation, and practical quantum-classical workflows in fields like materials science and quantum chemistry. IBM and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, have unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two to be deployed outside of the United States.

Located in Kobe, Japan, the system is notably the first quantum computer to be co-located with RIKEN’s Fugaku supercomputer, one of the world’s most powerful classical systems. This deployment, a key milestone for quantum-centric supercomputing, is supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)‘s “Development of Integrated... The IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is powered by IBM’s 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron processor, which demonstrates significantly improved performance over its predecessor, IBM Quantum Eagle. Heron achieves a two-qubit error rate of 3×10-3 (with a best of 1×10-3) and a speed of 250,000 CLOPS (Circuit Layer Operations Per Second), representing a 10x improvement in both quality and speed over... The system is co-located with Fugaku within the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) and linked via a high-speed network at the fundamental instruction level, enabling the development of parallelized workloads, low-latency classical-quantum communication... This integration allows RIKEN and IBM researchers to advance quantum-centric supercomputing approaches, pushing research on complex algorithms for problems such as fundamental chemistry.

The system is designed to accelerate the discovery of algorithms that can offer quantum advantage, where quantum computers solve problems more efficiently than classical methods. This includes work on sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) techniques, which have demonstrated the ability of near-term quantum computers to provide scientific value when combined with powerful classical infrastructure. The installation expands IBM’s global fleet of quantum computers and reinforces Japan’s role in high-performance computing. Read the full announcement here, and review Quantum Computing Report’s original coverage of the agreement here. TOP Events & Outreach News & Announcements IBM and RIKEN Unveil First IBM Quantum System Two Outside of the U.S. IBM (NYSE: IBM) and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, today unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two ever to be deployed outside of the United States and beyond an IBM Quantum Data...

The availability of this system also marks a milestone as the first quantum computer to be co-located with RIKEN's supercomputer Fugaku — one of the most powerful classical systems on Earth. This effort is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an organization under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)'s "Development of Integrated Utilization Technology for... IBM and RIKEN Unveil First IBM Quantum System Two Outside of the U.S. (IBM Website) IBM's next-generation quantum computer, now online in Japan, is also connected to the supercomputer Fugaku to accelerate quantum computational power and accuracy KOBE, Japan, June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, today unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two ever to be deployed outside of the United...

The availability of this system also marks a milestone as the first quantum computer to be co-located with RIKEN's supercomputer Fugaku — one of the most powerful classical systems on Earth. This effort is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an organization under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)'s "Development of Integrated Utilization Technology for... IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is powered by IBM's 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron, the company's best performing quantum processor to-date. IBM Heron's quality as measured by the two-qubit error rate, across a 100-qubit layered circuit, is 3x10-3 (with the best two-qubit error being 1x10-3) — which is 10 times better than the previous generation... IBM Heron's speed, as measured by the CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) metric is 250,000, which reflects another 10x improvement in the past year, over IBM Eagle. At a scale of 156 qubits, with these quality and speed metrics, Heron is the most performant quantum processor in the world.

This latest Heron is capable of running quantum circuits that are beyond brute-force simulations on classical computers, and its connection to Fugaku will enable RIKEN teams to use quantum-centric supercomputing approaches to push forward... The new IBM Quantum System Two is co-located with Fugaku within the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), Japan's premier high-performance computing (HPC) center. The computers are linked through a high-speed network at the fundamental instruction level to form a proving ground for quantum-centric supercomputing. This low-level integration allows RIKEN and IBM engineers to develop parallelized workloads, low-latency classical-quantum communication protocols, and advanced compilation passes and libraries. Because quantum and classical systems will ultimately offer different computational strengths, this will allow each paradigm to seamlessly perform the parts of an algorithm for which it is best suited. IBM Quantum System Two is the first modular utility-scaled quantum computer system, unveiled by IBM on December 4, 2023.[1]

It is a successor to the IBM Quantum System One. It contains three IBM Quantum Heron processors, which can be scaled up due to its modularity, and later upgraded for newer quantum processing units, as it is upgradeable.[1][2] For its maximum efficiency, it has to be cooled to a temperature of a few hundredths of degrees above absolute zero (10–20 mK),[3] using dilution technology. IBM has stated that their clients and partners are using their 100+ qubit systems to advance science.[1] On June 24, a ceremony was held at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) in Kobe, Japan, to mark the launch of collaborative operation of the supercomputer Fugaku and IBM Quantum System Two. R-CCS, in collaboration with SoftBank Corp., has launched a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), titled...

IBM Quantum System Two—equipped with the 156-qubit Heron superconducting quantum processor—has been installed at R-CCS. Consequently, “Quantum-Centric Supercomputing” operations utilizing both IBM Quantum System Two and the supercomputer Fugaku have been launched. This marks the first such deployment of IBM Quantum System Two outside of North America. At the ceremony, opening remarks were given by the hosts: Makoto Gonogami, President of RIKEN; Akio Yamaguchi, President and CEO of IBM Japan, Ltd.; and Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum. Congratulatory addresses were given by Kisaburo Tokai, Chair of the Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the House of Representatives (former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology); Motohiko Saito,... Other attendees included Yasutoshi Nishimura, member of the House of Representatives Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry (former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry); Yoshihiro Seki, also a member of the Committee; Shinsuke Suematsu,...

Also in attendance was Shigekazu Matsuura, Deputy Director-General of the Minister's Secretariat and in charge of Research Promotion Bureau and Higher Education Policy Coordination at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology... TOKYO, JAPAN, May 15, 2025 -- Today, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced plans to deploy the latest 156-qubit IBM Heron* quantum processing unit (QPU), which will be operational in... The IBM Heron QPU, which features a tunable-coupler architecture, delivers a significantly higher performance than the processor previously installed in 2023. This is the second update of the IBM Quantum System One as part of the collaboration between UTokyo and IBM. It was first deployed with a 27-qubit IBM Falcon QPU, before being updated to a 127-qubit IBM Eagle QPU in 2023. It is now transitioning to the latest generation highly performant IBM Heron later this year.

IBM has deployed four Heron-based systems worldwide and their performance shows significant improvement over the previous Eagle QPU, with a 3-4x improvement in two-qubit error rates; an order of magnitude improvement in device-wide performance... The latest IBM Heron processor has continued to demonstrate immense value in orchestrating utility-level workloads, to date, with multiple published studies leveraging these systems’ capability of achieving more than 5,000 gate operations. UTokyo is also planning to link the IBM Quantum System One to the Miyabi supercomputer later this year, enabling a quantum centric supercomputer. This will give the industry and academic users of the QII Consortium access to new computational capabilities and increasing performance in the domain areas such as chemistry, bioinformatics, high energy physics, materials science, finance... Miyabi is a supercomputer operated jointly by the UTokyo and the University of Tsukuba through the Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing (JCAHPC). Miyabi is equipped with the most advanced CPUs and GPUs, and consists of two subsystems, Miyabi-C and Miyabi-G.

Under current plans to be linked with UTokyo’s Heron-powered IBM Quantum System One later this year, the Miyabi supercomputer will allow QII users to explore computational problems such as making more precise measurement of... “This update to an IBM Heron quantum processor, linked to our Miyabi supercomputer will allow us to further develop use cases that leverage quantum and AI capabilities, expanding the realm of computable problems in... NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at the annual IBM Quantum Summit in New York, IBM (NYSE: IBM) debuted 'IBM Quantum Heron,' the first in a new series of utility-scale quantum processors with an architecture... IBM also unveiled IBM Quantum System Two, the company's first modular quantum computer and cornerstone of IBM's quantum-centric supercomputing architecture. The first IBM Quantum System Two, located in Yorktown Heights, New York, has begun operations with three IBM Heron processors and supporting control electronics.

At IBM Quantum Summit 2023, ‘IBM Quantum Heron’ was released as IBM’s best performing quantum processor to date, with newly built architecture offering up to five-fold improvement in error reduction. (Credit: Christopher Tirrell for IBM) With this critical foundation now in place, along with other breakthroughs in quantum hardware, theory, and software, the company is extending its IBM Quantum Development Roadmap to 2033 with new targets to significantly advance... Doing so would increase the size of quantum circuits able to be run and help to realize the full potential of quantum computing at scale. "We are firmly within the era in which quantum computers are being used as a tool to explore new frontiers of science," said Dario Gil, IBM SVP and Director of Research. "As we continue to advance how quantum systems can scale and deliver value through modular architectures, we will further increase the quality of a utility-scale quantum technology stack – and put it into the...

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