The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) is no longer waiting for quantum computing to mature; inaction, according to Ryousei Takano of AIST, “is a risk.” This shift in perspective drove the establishment of ABCI-Q, Japan’s quantum-HPC platform housed within the G-QuAT facility, which AIST established on July 27, 2023, as part of the national Quantum Innovation Hub. ABCI-Q uniquely focuses on simultaneously scaling toward fault-tolerant systems and integrating quantum processors into existing high-performance computing environments, building a full-stack center to test real-world applications.
AIST Establishes ABCI-Q as Full-Stack Quantum-HPC Center
Ryousei Takano of AIST detailed how the center is operating with an expectation that artificial intelligence agents will increasingly create, execute, and revise jobs through continuous interaction with the system, necessitating a redesign of the API surface, scheduler and unified treatment of CPU, GPU, and quantum processing unit resources. This shift anticipates a future where non-human callers will dominate job submission and management, moving beyond traditional human scripting and debugging workflows.
A working demonstration currently running on ABCI-Q uses a local large language model and a message-passing control plane interface to translate plain-language prompts into executable tasks, either dispatching them to the local scheduler or a remote cloud API, the company says. A recent simulation, conducted in collaboration with the University of Osaka, used 1,000 GPUs to run what Takano described as the world’s largest quantum circuit simulation for quantum chemistry, demonstrating strong scalability throughout the process.
This large-scale run highlights the capabilities of the classical computing infrastructure supporting the quantum processors, showing its ability to handle complex simulations even without active quantum processing unit involvement. ABCI-Q is physically situated within G-QuAT, with System H and System F housed in AIST’s headquarters building on the Tsukuba campus, while QuEra’s Gemini system resides approximately 350 meters away in a separate building. Gemini’s deployment benefits from room-temperature operation, simplifying installation by eliminating the need for cryogenic plants or dedicated facilities, and connecting back to the rest of ABCI-Q over an SD network.
This dual focus acknowledges that quantum computers will not operate in isolation, but rather as components within larger application workflows alongside classical and AI systems, according to the company. “In short, [G-QuAT] provides a landing zone in Japan,” said Ryousei Takano of AIST, emphasizing the facility’s role as a practical environment for validating emerging integration standards and addressing the challenges of real-world deployment. The facility aims to expose the gap between theoretical potential and practical implementation, serving as a testbed for emerging technologies and a platform for co-design with quantum hardware providers like QuEra.
Looking ahead, AIST anticipates that fault-tolerant systems will become practical in the 2030s. Agent-driven operation is not considered a side project but a core component of the long-term vision for ABCI-Q. The ongoing work at ABCI-Q is not simply about acquiring quantum hardware. It is about building a full-stack quantum-HPC center that can drive innovation and accelerate the development of practical quantum solutions.
In short, [G-QuAT] provides a landing zone in Japan.
Ryousei Takano of AIST
ABCI-Q Software Stack Enables Hybrid Quantum Workflows
AIST’s approach prioritizes a functioning ecosystem, funding not only computing hardware but also facility reinforcement for component evaluation and an incubation function to support domestic companies entering international markets. As of May 2026, the center’s workforce exceeds 300 researchers, staff and students, organized around pillars of business creation, R&D infrastructure and talent cultivation, all designed to encourage a comprehensive quantum industry.
ABCI-Q, the QC-HPC integration platform within G-QuAT, is designed to connect disparate systems through a unified software stack, rather than simply co-locating hardware. The platform currently integrates System H, a 505 compute node cluster equipped with approximately 2,020 NVIDIA H100 GPUs on an InfiniBand fabric, with several on-premises quantum computers, including QuEra’s Gemini system and a 129-qumode optical quantum computer from OptQC.
This deliberate architecture aims for an open testbed where diverse machines connect via common software, workflow tooling, data infrastructure and operational practice, allowing for comparative analysis and optimized hybrid workflows. The $41 million USD contract backing Gemini’s installation emphasises the financial investment supporting this integration effort. The software layer is critical to ABCI-Q’s functionality, layering conventional HPC infrastructure, a job scheduler, workflow orchestration through Covalent and Prefect, and a container engine, with quantum frameworks like Qiskit, CUDA-Q, Bloqade and QURI, alongside machine learning tools like PyTorch and JAX.
Open OnDemand provides a browser-based interface with Jupyter notebooks, lowering the barrier to entry for users unfamiliar with traditional HPC environments. Currently, users access compute nodes via SSH, REST API, or Open OnDemand, submitting tasks into a system designed to accommodate both classical and quantum resources.
AIST envisions a collaborative relationship with QuEra and the QuEra Quantum Alliance, using their expertise in neutral-atom hardware, software ecosystems, and quantum science. G-QuAT, in turn, contributes HPC and AI infrastructure, industrial use cases, a network of hardware component suppliers, and a dedicated environment for testing and integration. This collaboration focuses on applications, middleware, and benchmarking, areas where the combined strengths of both organizations can drive innovation.
The center’s three facilities, ABCI-Q, Qubed and Qufab, are intentionally linked, allowing for a streamlined process where domestically-supplied components are evaluated, integrated into the computing infrastructure, and then supported for international customers. The focus on integration, rather than solely on scaling, is a deliberate strategy to address the practical challenges of deploying quantum technology and maximizing its impact.
By supporting collaboration between researchers, industry partners and international organizations, AIST aims to create a vibrant quantum innovation hub that can drive economic growth and technological advancement, the company says. G-QuAT currently maintains international collaboration agreements with 27 organizations, demonstrating its commitment to open science and global partnerships., ABCI-Q reports.
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