Quantinuum, Rolls-Royce, Riverlane, and University of Edinburgh Partner on Quantum Computing for Industrial Design

Technology firm Quantinuum, aerospace company Rolls-Royce, quantum software company Riverlane, and the University of Edinburgh's EPCC (National Supercomputing Centre) have entered into an agreement to explore the capabilities of quantum computing for future industrial workflows, specifically in areas like gas turbine design. The collaboration aims to advance complex fluid dynamics simulations using quantum computational power.

The project will leverage the expertise of each partner. Quantinuum will provide access to its quantum systems and software environment, including its Helios quantum computer. Rolls-Royce will contribute industrial use cases and domain knowledge, while Riverlane will focus on quantum error correction and fault-tolerant algorithms. EPCC will offer supercomputing expertise and support for integrating hybrid computing workflows.

The computational demands of simulating complex fluid dynamics are a significant challenge in designing gas turbines. This partnership will investigate how fault-tolerant quantum computers can work alongside supercomputers to address this bottleneck, enabling more accurate modeling of fluid dynamics. The multi-year collaboration is also intended to support the UK's quantum strategy by developing crucial quantum technologies and hybrid computing capabilities for future industrial applications.

This initiative builds on prior collaborations that have established groundwork for tackling fluid dynamics simulations with quantum computers. The partners plan to test key computational components of quantum algorithms on Quantinuum's hardware and assess their scalability on future systems, aiming to accelerate the practical application of quantum computing in industry.