Image source: Shutterstock

Highlights:

  • IBM installs first Quantum System Two outside the U.S., co-located with RIKEN’s Fugaku supercomputer.
  • The company’s 156-qubit Heron processor achieves 10x performance gains over previous-generation systems.
  • IBM and RIKEN target quantum-classical hybrid workflows for chemistry and algorithm research 

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is a global tech and consulting firm offering hybrid cloud, AI, and quantum solutions across 175+ countries, serving key industries and operating one of the world’s largest quantum computing fleets with a focus on open, secure, and scalable platforms. 

IBM and Japan’s RIKEN national research institute have jointly launched the first IBM Quantum System Two to be deployed outside the United States, marking a significant advancement in international quantum research infrastructure. The new system is installed at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) in Kobe, Japan, and is directly linked with Fugaku, one of the world’s most powerful classical supercomputers. 

This collaboration is supported by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), as part of its effort to develop integrated computing infrastructure for the post-5G era. 

At the core of the new IBM Quantum System Two is the IBM Heron processor, featuring 156 qubits. This processor records a two-qubit error rate of 3x10⁻³, with best-in-class values reaching 1x10⁻³, and offers a CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) score of 250,000 a tenfold increase over IBM’s previous-generation 127-qubit Eagle processor. 

The system is connected to Fugaku through a high-speed, low-latency network at the fundamental instruction level. This enables quantum-centric supercomputing, where workloads can be parallelized across both quantum and classical systems, allowing each platform to execute tasks best suited to its architecture. The setup will allow researchers at RIKEN to explore hybrid workflows, including quantum-classical algorithm development for applications such as quantum chemistry. 

Officials from both IBM and RIKEN marked the system’s launch during a ceremony on June 24, 2025, in Kobe. Speakers included RIKEN President Makoto Gonokami, Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and VP of IBM Quantum, and representatives from METI, MEXT, the Kobe Prefecture, and local government bodies. 

According to Dr. Mitsuhisa Sato, Director of RIKEN’s Quantum-HPC Hybrid Platform Division, the primary mission is to develop and test practical workflows that combine quantum and classical computing for use by both researchers and industry. The direct integration between Fugaku and the IBM system provides a new foundation for advancing quantum-HPC collaboration. 

This installation also supports the ongoing research between IBM and RIKEN, particularly in the field of quantum chemistry and simulation. A recent collaboration, featured in Science Advances, demonstrated the use of sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) techniques to model the electronic structure of iron sulfides, a complex chemical compound present in biological systems and materials science. These workflows are early examples of how current-generation quantum processors can contribute scientific value when combined with classical infrastructure. 

The IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN adds to IBM’s global fleet of quantum computers and reflects the growing emphasis on collaborative infrastructure between quantum and high-performance computing systems. As classical and quantum systems evolve in parallel, their integration is expected to play a significant role in future computing strategies.