KDDI Corporation (KDDI) has been selected by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) for a project focused on developing middleware for the industrialization of quantum computers. KDDI will lead a collaboration of ten domestic institutions in joint research to build an “AI-quantum common platform,” which is intended to accelerate the industrial use of quantum computers and lower the barrier to entry for users.
The joint research includes KDDI Research, Inc., Jij Inc., QunaSys Inc., the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Waseda University, Keio University, Osaka University, and Shibaura Institute of Technology. The initiative will utilize the quantum-classical hybrid computing testbed (ABCI-Q) established at AIST’s Global Research Center for Business Development of Quantum and AI Fusion Technologies (G-QuAT). Technical deliverables include the development of middleware for optimal allocation of computing resources, a platform that uses an API to abstract quantum computer functions, and the development of operation technology for quantum computers, including methods for fault detection and management.
This initiative aligns with the Japanese government’s goals to promote the social implementation and industrialization of quantum technology. The project is designed to address barriers to market growth, such as the need for specialized user expertise, by developing a platform that can be used intuitively without specialized quantum knowledge. The ultimate goal is to expand the user base across a variety of industrial fields and support the national objective of increasing domestic quantum production to ¥50 trillion and users to 10 million by 2030.
Read the full announcement from KDDI here and from Jij here.
August 15, 2025
