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New research initiative targets biology with quantum computing and AI

Google has launched REPLIQA, a life sciences and quantum AI research programme backed by a $10 million commitment to five universities. The initiative aims to apply advanced quantum science and AI to biological research, with a long-term focus on improving understanding of human biology and health.

Google Quantum AI and Google.org lead the programme and will support research into complex molecular interactions, including biological processes such as protein folding and cellular responses to new drugs. Google says classical computers often struggle to simulate such interactions accurately, while quantum technologies operate according to the same physical principles that govern molecules.

The funding will support work at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, San Diego, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Arizona. Google says the programme is intended to build a shared scientific ecosystem around quantum science, AI and life sciences.

The initiative will focus on foundational tools such as quantum sensors and quantum-enhanced AI algorithms that could support future discoveries in biological science and drug development. Google describes REPLIQA as a long-term research effort rather than a programme expected to produce immediate results.

Why does it matter?

REPLIQA points to growing interest in combining quantum science, AI and life sciences to address biological problems that are difficult for classical computing to model. Its significance lies less in immediate health applications and more in the research infrastructure it aims to build: sensors, algorithms and academic partnerships that could eventually improve biological simulations and support future medical discovery.

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Canada invests in AI and quantum technology firms in British Columbia

Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), announced more than C$17.3 million in funding for eight British Columbia technology companies to accelerate the commercialisation and adoption of AI and quantum technologies.

Through PacifiCan, the federal government is supporting projects focused on robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and quantum supply chains as part of a broader strategy to strengthen domestic innovation and sovereign technology capabilities.

A major share of the investment will support Human in Motion Robotics, which received CAD$3 million to commercialise its AI-powered XoMotion wearable robotic exoskeleton. The company plans to integrate AI into mobility systems, expand manufacturing, and move the technology beyond clinical environments into homes and community settings for people with spinal cord injuries and neurological conditions.

Another funded company, Dream Photonics, will receive more than CAD$1.1 million to establish pilot manufacturing for optical interconnect technologies used in AI and quantum chips. The project aims to strengthen Canada’s domestic semiconductor and quantum ecosystem while creating skilled technology jobs in British Columbia.

The announcement also highlighted the rapid expansion of British Columbia’s AI ecosystem, which now includes nearly 600 AI companies. Canadian officials linked the investments to broader efforts to secure domestic compute infrastructure, strengthen AI supply chains, and position Canada competitively in emerging technologies ahead of events such as Web Summit Vancouver.

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China opens a new era of computing with fourth generation quantum machine

China has launched its fourth-generation superconducting quantum computer, marking a further step in the country’s push to scale advanced computing infrastructure. Developed by Origin Quantum, the system, named Origin Wukong-180, has begun accepting quantum computing tasks from users worldwide.

The machine is built around a 180-qubit superconducting chip and integrates fully self-developed core systems, including the chip architecture, measurement and control systems, environmental support, and operating software. According to the company, the platform represents full-stack domestic capability across the quantum computing chain.

Origin Wukong-180 builds on earlier generations of the system, following the third-generation version that has already processed tens of millions of remote accesses and hundreds of thousands of computing tasks across more than 160 countries.

The company also reports milestones such as China’s first export of quantum computing services and the establishment of the country’s first quantum chip production line.

Researchers and developers view systems like Origin Wukong-180 as part of a broader shift toward practical quantum computing applications in areas such as AI, cryptography, finance, biochemistry, and engineering design, where large-scale computational power could reshape existing technological limits.

Why does it matter?

The development signals a broader shift in global technological competition, where quantum computing is becoming a strategic layer of future digital infrastructure alongside AI and advanced semiconductor systems.

As countries race to build scalable quantum capabilities, control over this technology could influence breakthroughs in secure communications, complex simulations, and financial modelling, while also reshaping supply chains for high-performance computing.

Wider global access to such systems may accelerate scientific discovery, but it also raises questions about technological dependence, standards-setting, and long-term geopolitical balance in the digital economy.

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Brazil tests quantum-secure communication over Recife fibre network

Researchers in Brazil have developed the Recife Quantum Network, a quantum key distribution system that uses inactive optical fibre already installed in the city’s urban infrastructure to test secure communications outside a laboratory setting.

The project, led by Professor Daniel Felinto at the Federal University of Pernambuco, connects university departments through dark fibre and uses quantum key distribution to protect information exchange.

Quantum key distribution relies on quantum properties that make interception detectable: any attempt to observe or copy the security key disrupts the quantum state, alerts the system and prevents secure key exchange.

The work has grown into a broader institutional effort through the Institute of Quantum Technologies, known as Quanta, based at the university’s ParqueTec. Researchers from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco are also involved. The initiative received recognition through the 2025 Finep Innovation Award in the Northeast Region, in the research and development infrastructure category.

Initial tests over 7 kilometres have been completed, and the team now aims to expand the Recife quantum network to 40 kilometres with support from development institutions linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The project has also received support from the ministry through the National Education and Research Network and its Point of Presence in Pernambuco.

The initiative is presented as a step towards applying quantum key distribution-based secure communications to strategic cybersecurity needs, including defence and financial systems. Its use of existing telecommunications infrastructure is significant because it suggests that quantum-secure communication systems can be tested in urban environments without requiring entirely new fibre deployment.

Why does it matter?

Quantum key distribution is being explored as a way to protect sensitive communications against future threats, including advances in computing that could weaken current encryption methods. The Recife project is significant because it moves testing beyond laboratory conditions and into existing urban fibre infrastructure, which is a practical requirement for any wider deployment of quantum-secure networks.

For Brazil, the project also links cybersecurity with national research capacity, regional innovation and digital infrastructure development, showing how quantum technologies are beginning to move from academic experimentation towards applied communications security.

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OSCE chairpersonship opens Geneva conference on AI and quantum risks

The Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship has opened a high-level conference in Geneva on how emerging technologies are affecting security, international governance, and co-operation across the OSCE region.

The two-day event, titled ‘Anticipating technologies – for a safe and humane future’, brings together about 200 participants from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, alongside representatives from international organisations, academia, the private sector, and civil society.

The conference focuses on the security implications of rapid technological change, including AI and quantum technologies. The discussions are intended to examine how anticipation, dialogue, and cooperation can help reduce misunderstandings, build trust, and strengthen security in a fast-changing technological environment.

Opening the conference, OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis said: ‘Technology will not wait for us. Geopolitics will not slow down. If we want to remain relevant, we must anticipate – not react. This is the responsibility we share across the OSCE region. The OSCE still offers something rare: a space where adversaries can speak, where differences can be managed, and where common ground can still be built.’

The organisation’s Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, also stressed the need for dialogue as emerging technologies evolve faster than governance frameworks. He said: ‘Today, emerging technologies are evolving faster than the frameworks that govern them. This creates a widening gap between what technology can do and how we manage it. This gap must be addressed through dialogue – our most important stabilizing force in uncertain times – and this is where the OSCE has a vital role to play.’

The programme includes discussions on anticipating technological change and its geopolitical impact, water and energy security in the digital age, and the role of AI in early warning and conflict prevention. The conference also highlights Geneva’s role as a meeting point for science and diplomacy, including through institutions such as CERN, the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, and the Open Quantum Institute.

The event forms part of the Chairpersonship’s priority to connect scientific and technological anticipation with policy action. It is the second of four international conferences Switzerland is hosting under its chairpersonship, ahead of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Lugano in December.

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UNESCO report warns over global quantum research inequality

According to UNESCO, the unequal access to quantum research infrastructure risks widening global scientific and technological divides, with nearly one in three researchers worldwide still lacking access to quantum research facilities despite rapid growth in investment and interest in the field.

The findings come from The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, Outcomes of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, which analysed more than 1,300 quantum science events across 83 countries and included a global survey of 590 experts in 81 countries.

The report highlights major regional disparities, with Europe and North America hosting 7 times as many quantum-related events per country as Africa.

More than 150 countries still lack a national quantum strategy, even though global public and private investment in quantum science and technology reached $55.7 billion by mid-2025, according to UNESCO.

The organisation also points to a persistent gender gap, noting that while women account for a much larger share of early-career participants, they make up only around 16% of senior researchers and 12% of leadership roles in quantum fields.

UNESCO says quantum technologies could transform areas including healthcare, computing, cybersecurity, and climate modelling. To address infrastructure inequality, it has launched the Global Quantum Initiative and expanded programmes that give researchers from developing economies remote access to advanced quantum computing systems.

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Bank of America forum highlights AI, quantum and Asia Pacific innovation

Bank of America convened its fifth Breakthrough Technology Dialogue in Singapore, bringing together leaders from business, academia, and science to discuss emerging technologies shaping the future. The event focused on areas including AI, quantum computing, energy, MedTech, and space.

The forum also highlighted the growing importance of the Asia Pacific in driving technological development and deployment. According to Bank of America, the region’s strong research base, advanced manufacturing capacity, and expanding digital infrastructure are helping position it at the centre of global innovation.

Designed as a high-level platform for discussion, the dialogue explored how emerging technologies are reshaping industries and economies. Participants also examined longer-term investment approaches and the need to connect innovation with practical use cases that can scale across markets.

The initiative reflects Bank of America’s wider approach to technology investment, combining large-scale spending with a stated focus on client and employee needs and on solutions that can be delivered at scale. The event is increasingly being presented as a global forum for shaping views on the next generation of technological change.

Why does it matter?

The significance of the dialogue lies less in any single announcement than in the way it brings together investors, executives, academics, and technologists around the sectors likely to shape future industrial and economic power. The emphasis on Asia Pacific also reflects a broader recognition that leadership in AI, quantum, and other frontier technologies will depend not only on research breakthroughs, but also on where they are manufactured, financed, and deployed at scale.

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Canada moves to strengthen photonic semiconductor and AI capabilities

The Government of Canada has announced plans to spin off the National Research Council of Canada’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre into a commercially operated entity to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing and strengthen the country’s AI infrastructure.

The initiative forms part of Ottawa’s broader strategy to reinforce technological sovereignty and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains in critical technologies. Located in Ottawa, the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre is currently North America’s only end-to-end pure-play compound semiconductor facility and has supported photonics development for more than two decades through wafer design, fabrication, and testing services.

Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Mélanie Joly said the spin-off is intended to attract private-sector investment, support Canadian innovation, and expand the country’s role in advanced manufacturing sectors, including defence, aerospace, automotive technologies, and AI.

The government also links the initiative to growing global demand for AI computing infrastructure, where photonic semiconductors are increasingly seen as important for improving energy efficiency, heat management, and data-transfer performance in large-scale data centres. Ottawa says the future commercial entity will remain anchored in Canada while helping domestic firms scale photonic and quantum technologies.

The expected result is a stronger Canadian supply chain for advanced semiconductor manufacturing and better support for fast-growing small and medium-sized enterprises working on AI and quantum systems. In that sense, the move is less about volume chip production and more about securing a specialised domestic capability in a strategically important part of the semiconductor stack. This final sentence is an inference based on the government’s framing of CPFC’s role and Canada’s wider AI and photonics strategy.

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New MIT research hub targets future of advanced computation

IBM and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing have launched the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, expanding their long-running partnership into a broader research agenda focused on AI, algorithms, and quantum computing.

The initiative builds on the earlier MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and reflects the rapid shift towards AI deployment and emerging quantum technologies.

The lab aims to explore the convergence of AI and quantum systems, including hybrid computing models that combine classical infrastructure with next-generation quantum hardware.

Research priorities include efficient AI architectures, advanced optimisation methods, and new algorithmic frameworks designed to improve reliability, transparency, and real-world applicability of machine learning systems.

Alongside AI development, the lab will focus on quantum algorithms for complex scientific problems in fields such as chemistry, biology, and materials science. Work will also address the mathematical foundations of modelling dynamic systems, with potential applications ranging from improved weather prediction to financial forecasting and supply chain optimisation.

Leaders from both MIT and IBM describe the lab as a platform for shaping the next generation of computing systems through integrated advances in AI and quantum technologies.

Why does it matter?

The launch of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab signals a broader shift in how foundational computing breakthroughs are now being shaped through close academic–industry collaboration.

As AI and quantum computing converge, the boundaries of what machines can model, predict, and optimise are being fundamentally redefined.

From a wider perspective, these developments could reshape entire sectors, including healthcare, finance, climate science, and global logistics, by enabling faster and more accurate problem-solving at scales that classical systems cannot handle.

The direction of this research also matters for technological sovereignty, as countries and institutions compete to lead in next-generation computing capabilities that will underpin future economic and scientific power.

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UNIDIR highlights the security implications of the shift from classical to quantum technologies

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) has outlined the evolution of digital technologies from early internet systems to emerging quantum capabilities, highlighting their growing impact on global systems and security.

In its analysis, UNIDIR traces the progression from dial-up connectivity and classical computing to advanced technologies such as AI and quantum computing, noting that innovation cycles are accelerating and becoming increasingly interconnected. The organisation states that the transition to quantum technologies represents a significant shift in how data is processed, stored and secured.

Unlike classical systems, quantum computing introduces new capabilities that could transform fields ranging from scientific research to communications.

However, UNIDIR warns that these advances also present risks, particularly in cybersecurity. Quantum technologies could challenge existing encryption methods and expose vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure, with implications for governments, businesses and critical systems.

The analysis also links emerging technologies to broader geopolitical dynamics, noting that competition over technological leadership is becoming a key factor in international security. As digital and physical systems converge, technological developments are increasingly shaping strategic stability.

Why does it matter?

UNIDIR emphasises the need for forward-looking governance, international cooperation and policy coordination to manage these challenges. It calls for stronger dialogue among states and stakeholders to ensure that technological progress supports global security rather than undermines it.

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