Welcome to another biweekly update on quantum computing. This edition looks at secure hardware tie-ups, hybrid system moves, and public investment in critical quantum inputs. We also check in on new work from IBM-linked labs that could shape drug discovery and future physics work. Let’s go.
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Secure Systems and Strategic Moves
We begin with SEALSQ Corp. (LAES) and French chip group Quobly, which formed a new joint effort to explore secure hardware for quantum systems. The firms plan to blend SEALSQ’s work on post-quantum security chips with Quobly’s spin-qubit platform, which is built with standard chip tools. The goal is to design full systems that come with built-in security at the chip level.
Both firms want to win new work in the U.S. and Europe, where secure supply chains and defense-grade systems are now key. SEALSQ’s focus is on chips with quantum-safe tools like CRYSTALS-Kyber and Dilithium, while Quobly is working on silicon chips that can scale. They aim to serve sectors like defense, banking, and high-end data sites.
The firms said they plan to co-design parts that pair fast quantum code with built-in secure chips. This kind of mix may draw interest as post-quantum rules evolve in key regions.
Quantum Power and Local Growth
Next, EPB, a city-run utility in Chattanooga, and an IonQ (IONQ) partner, shared new data on the gains from its fiber and grid setup, including its early work on quantum networks. Since 2010, the group’s tech stack has added more than $5.3 billion in local value and helped create over 10,000 jobs. It expects another $5 billion in gains by 2035, with $1.1 billion tied to quantum work.
EPB now operates the first U.S. public quantum network and has added a center offering access to quantum nodes and tools. It has also used its fiber grid to reduce power loss, shorten outage time by 59%, and provide free web access to more than 28,000 students.
While the group is not a chip firm, its work shows how quantum tools may mix with grid tech and local data needs in new ways.
The UK Maps Out Its Mineral Plans
The UK rolled out a new plan to build out its stock of key input metals, aiming to cut risk in chips, energy, and defense. The Vision 2035 plan maps out how to mine, refine, and reuse critical inputs like lithium, nickel, and rare earths. These same metals help run the lasers, cryogenic links, and doped wafers in many types of quantum chips.
Though the word “quantum” does not show up in most of the plan, the link is clear. Many UK quantum groups work with photonic or trapped-ion chips, both of which need pure feedstocks. By expanding its midstream refining base, the UK aims to reduce risks tied to global suppliers. It also wants to fund new sites and open links with other nations such as Japan, Canada, and Australia.
Some groups in the quantum field may now be able to tap this funding stream by tying into broader chip or defense work.
SkyWater and SQC Push Hybrid Chips
SkyWater Technology Inc. (SKYT) and Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) are now working together to build hybrid systems that mix classic and quantum chips. SkyWater will offer secure U.S.-based wafers and superconducting links, while SQC will supply atom-level quantum chips built in Australia.
The aim is to build a clean path to systems that shift tasks between the two chip types. SkyWater said it will use its “Tech-as-a-Service” model to fast-track new builds and link them with key U.S. use cases.
SkyWater’s secure foundry status may also help SQC clear hurdles tied to U.S. supply and defense rules. The firms are part of a broader trend to build dual-use systems that mix fast math and quantum tools.
IBM’s Quantum Tools Used in New Research
Last, we look at new research work that used IBM’s (IBM) quantum tools for two key goals: health and physics.
A group led by the Cleveland Clinic and IBM used a hybrid model to study how full molecules shift and bind. The team used IBM’s quantum hardware to map key steps, then ran the outputs on classic tools to get final answers. The model showed gains in speed and cost, with early signs that it could help drug labs test more cases at scale.
In a separate case, a team of U.S. physicists ran the largest known digital quantum model of basic matter rules. The work used IBM’s gear to prep quantum states that mimic how particles form and shift. The team scaled up to over 100 qubits, which is large for this type of test.
Both labs said these tools helped solve work that is too slow or hard for classic tools alone. The aim now is to use these methods to push new work in health, defense, and physics over the next ten years.
We used TipRanks’ Comparison Tool to line up all the tickers mentioned in the piece alongside notable quantum stocks. It’s a quick way to see how they stack up and where the field could be heading.
