Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST; President and CEO: Karin Markides, in Onna Village, Okinawa) and Qubitcore Inc. (CEO: Ryuta Watanuki, Headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture), a startup aiming to realize distributed quantum computing systems by combining ion trap technology with optical resonators, announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement, effective June 1, 2025.
Through this agreement, Qubitcore will inherit and build upon the research achievements of OIST's Experimental Quantum Information Physics Unit- some of which have been generously supported by OIST Innovation through the Proof of Concept (POC) program - thereby accelerating the commercialization of quantum computing technologies. Assistant Professor Hiroki Takahashi, who leads the unit, also serves as the project manager for the Japan Cabinet Office's Moonshot R&D Program Goal 6: "Realization of a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer that will dramatically advance economy, industry, and security by 2050." His project focuses on developing a fault-tolerant quantum computer using ion traps and photonic interconnects.
In conjunction with the licensing agreement, Qubitcore has successfully closed a pre-seed funding round led by OIST Lifetime Ventures Fund.
Looking ahead, Qubitcore will leverage OIST's research foundation to develop and commercialize next-generation architectures essential for building reliable, large-scale fault-tolerant universal quantum computers. These efforts are expected to drive transformative progress in the quantum era across economic, industrial, and security domains.
Commenting on the announcement, Prof. Takahashi said, "It is deeply meaningful to see research on quantum photonic interconnects using ion traps, which we have pursued at OIST, evolve into concrete initiatives for social implementation. I look forward to rapid advancements in research and development, driven by collaboration between OIST, Qubitcore, and researchers both in Japan and abroad."
