Quantinuum and BMW Group have widened their quantum computing collaboration through a multi-year partnership centred on the use of the technology in advanced materials science for future mobility applications.
The companies have been working together since 2021, moving from early algorithm development to more advanced simulations of molecular systems.
According to the statement, the broadened agreement places the collaboration on course to become one of the longest-running commitments between a commercial enterprise and a quantum computing provider.
Quantinuum President and CEO Rajeeb Hazra said: “Quantinuum is focused on driving commercial adoption of quantum computing through close collaboration with industry leaders on high-impact applications.
“Our expanded partnership with the BMW Group underscores this focus, and we’re excited to scale the meaningful work we have been advancing together.”
BMW Group researchers are using Quantinuum’s trapped-ion architecture to simulate molecular systems, with work focused particularly on electrochemical processes linked to sustainable mobility, including the design and optimisation of fuel cells.
As part of the partnership, BMW Group will use successive generations of Quantinuum’s quantum computers, including the current Helios system and the planned Sol system for 2027 and Apollo system for 2029.
The work is aimed at catalyst chemistry research, with a specific emphasis on oxygen reduction reaction processes at platinum catalysts, with the goal of potentially reducing costs and improving energy efficiency.
Quantinuum said its development of large-scale, fault-tolerant systems is designed to make sure hardware performance milestones translate into industrially meaningful solutions for BMW.
The partnership also brings together quantum scientists, chemists and engineers from both organisations to address complex challenges in industrial chemistry in support of next-generation mobility technologies.
BMW Group New Technologies vice president Martin Tietze added: “Together with partners such as Quantinuum, we translate advances in quantum hardware into real‑world applications, including materials optimisation, supporting the development of future vehicle generations.”
