Quantum World Congress 2026 opened in Maryland, U.S., in 2026. Japanese companies are presenting a Japan Pavilion centered on Fujitsu’s planned unveiling of a 1,000-qubit system, and a memorandum of cooperation between Japan and the U.S. has also been formalized.
The international quantum technology conference QWC 2026 was held in College Park, Maryland, U.S., bringing together delegations from more than 30 countries. Among the Japanese participants, Fujitsu had its own booth, while 7 companies exhibited as part of the Japan Pavilion. An initiative to promote Japan-U.S. cooperation under a framework organized by NEDO was also presented.
Japan’s main activities were organized into a three-tier structure: Fujitsu as the first tier, the NEDO-organized Japan Pavilion as the second, and JETRO and G-QuAT/Q-STAR working together as the third. The 3 parties signed a memorandum of cooperation in March 2026 on promoting international cooperation in quantum technology. Fujitsu is also participating in a national project whose business period runs through FY2027. Separately, the operation of OptQC’s MoQuren was reported.
Among the exhibiting companies, JIJ focused on quantum annealing and optimization, while IonQ is pursuing growth with quantum computing and quantum key distribution as its two pillars. IonQ acquired ID Quantique in 2025 and announced its new Superion line in 2026. IBM continues to implement quantum solutions backed by its long history, while D-Wave expanded into both annealing and gate-based systems.
The exhibition floor featured a range of approaches, including superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral-atom, photonic and topological systems, with each company highlighting its technological advantages. Japanese companies, led by Fujitsu, shared their plans and track records, suggesting that opportunities for collaboration among Japanese startups may expand.