IBM has unveiled a roadmap for developing large-scale quantum hardware and software to solve problems that are difficult to solve with conventional computers. The next generation of computing is expected to see the coexistence of traditional computing methods and quantum computing, with synergy in each specialized area.

'Quantum Korea 2024', co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Quantum Korea 2024 Organizing Committee, was held on Tuesday, the 25th, at KINTEX 2nd Exhibition Hall in Ilsan. Korea adopted quantum as one of the 12 national strategic technologies, established national quantum governance by enacting the Quantum Technology Industry Act in October of last year, and announced the 'Quantum Initiative' in April of this year. This is expected to be implemented in November of this year.

Kim Yeon, director of the Quantum Science and Technology Industry Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT, explained, “The main axes of the domestic quantum industry are securing quantum core technology, quantum engineering, and quantum service development. The government plans to expand infrastructure investment by up to 3 trillion won by 2035 and focus on fostering talent and R&D hubs.” Additionally, the plan is to expand the industry based on global cooperation, establish quantum unicorn companies, and achieve a quantum economy by 2035.

Recently, the quantum field is being developed with computing technology that utilizes the high speed of quantum and the irregularity of quantum to apply it to security.

IBM has released its quantum roadmap and introduced a number of software technologies, including quantum computers. Since 2016, IBM has built more than 60 quantum computing systems in its research labs and data centers through quantum research. It has also been the first in the world to open quantum computers to the general public through the cloud.

IBM Vice President Pyo-Hee Pyo said, “With the 127-qubit IBM Quantum ‘Eagle’ processor, which will be released in 2023, we have demonstrated that quantum systems can go beyond classical quantum mechanics simulations and solve problems in chemistry, physics, and materials at a scale that is difficult for conventional computers to calculate.”

For example, it can quickly solve global distribution problems when responding to changes in the financial market in real time or when there are countless cases such as weather and schedules at oil companies. It is like the CPU and GPU, which are the engines of artificial intelligence (AI) that learn and infer data, and has much better performance than supercomputers. It is expected to be used in autonomous driving, new material development, battery industry, simulation, etc. in Korea.

However, IBM did not believe that quantum computing, or QPU (quantum processing unit), could replace GPUs or CPUs. The IBM booth manager explained, “Quantum computing and traditional computers are being developed in a hybrid way that highlights each other’s strengths,” and “Next-generation computing will create synergy effects in areas where each computing performance is specialized.”


IBM exhibited its 'Quantum System 1' equipment at its booth that day, which is scheduled to be installed at Yonsei University's International Campus in the second half of this year. The equipment maintains an extremely low temperature of -237 degrees Celsius by covering the outer wall with cans in stages.

In particular, the IBM Quantum 'Heron' processor, released in December 2023, is based on an architecture developed over four years and boasts five times improved error sensitivity and high performance compared to the Eagle processor. Three of these will be installed in IBM's first modular quantum computer, the 'Quantum System 2'. The computer is built at the Watson Institute in New York.

IBM said, “Until last year, we focused on increasing the number of qubits, but now we are focusing on improving speed and performance, and are researching ways to increase integration between chips and reduce noise by attaching the chips themselves in a parallel structure.”

IBM has announced that it will extend its quantum development roadmap to 2033 based on the architecture of the Heron chip, and aims to improve the quality of quantum computing through improved gate operation. “As the scale, quality, and speed of IBM systems continue to improve, we will be able to run larger circuits,” said IBM Vice President Pyo Chang-hee. “We are targeting 50,000, 100,000, and 100 million gates.”

Meanwhile, IBM also emphasizes software development tools that help developers build and run quantum circuits. 'Qiskit', announced in 2023, is an open-source quantum programming software that has been adopted by 600,000 users worldwide. Managing Director Pyo said, "Recently, we have also developed a solution that automatically generates code for operations based on LLM (Large Language Model) by incorporating generative AI."

He also said, “IBM has established a global quantum network, with 250 member companies from governments, organizations, and universities using IBM products, and is also leading the way in quantum education by announcing plans to provide quantum education to 40,000 students in Korea, the U.S., and Japan in December 2023.” IBM’s 39 Quantum Innovation Centers (QICs) serve as hubs and conduct research and education based on global collaboration.