Quantum Computing Business News, Quantum Hardware

Quandela eyes Korean firms to build photonic quantum chips

Avatar of Ivy Delaney
September 28, 2026 by Ivy Delaney
Image: Original reporting by Jang Hyeong-Im for Seoul Economic Daily · en.sedaily.com

Quandela, a French firm building quantum computers on single photons, intends to identify Korean partners within two years to advance chip manufacturing and system integration, the company says. Chief executive Niccolo Somaschi outlined the strategy at a press conference in Seoul, emphasizing a need for semiconductor-grade precision to scale performance. “Combining Quandela’s quantum computing expertise with Korea’s semiconductor manufacturing technology would be a strong fit,” Somaschi said, naming Samsung, SK hynix and LG Innotek as potential collaborators in a move towards hybrid quantum-classical computing infrastructure.

Photonic Quantum Chips: Quandela’s Korean Partnership Strategy

This focused approach diverges from broader partnership explorations, signalling a clear intent to integrate with existing industry leaders rather than build independent manufacturing capacity. The company believes this collaboration is essential for scaling performance and achieving long-term viability in the quantum computing market, a sector increasingly reliant on precision engineering at the nanoscale, according to Quandela.

The company’s strategy extends beyond simply outsourcing production; it envisions a deep technology cooperation spanning quantum chip manufacturing, system integration, demonstration and ultimately, real-world operation of quantum computers. “Over the next two years, we will identify partners in Korea, review whether photonic modules are suitable for mass production, and reflect the results in our technology roadmap toward FTQC,” said Niccolo Somaschi, chief executive of Quandela, outlining a two-year timeframe for establishing these important relationships.

This timeline emphasises the urgency with which Quandela views the need for Korean manufacturing expertise, particularly as it develops its path toward fault-tolerant quantum computing. Quandela’s recent work integrating quantum processing units with Nvidia’s graphics processing units highlights a shift towards hybrid quantum-classical computing architectures, a move that demands tight integration between quantum processors and existing computational infrastructure. This integration requires semiconductor-grade precision manufacturing and inspection capabilities, areas where Korean companies possess significant advantages.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Massy, France, Quandela has quickly established itself as a key player in photonic quantum computing, building systems that use single photons as qubits. With over €107 million in funding, the company is now expanding its global footprint, and the Korean strategy is central to its ambitions. The company’s decision to establish a presence in Korea also reflects a broader trend of international collaboration in quantum technology.

A partnership with Quanova advances quantum computing skills in Vietnam, and with Mekdam Holding Group to bring photonic quantum computing to Gulf markets. A partnership with CMC Microsystems expands its Canadian presence, offering access to its technology through the Quantum Computing Sandbox. These strategic alliances, combined with the recent establishment of a Quandela Hub at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) for education and research, demonstrate a commitment to building a global ecosystem around its photonic quantum computing platform, the firm reports.

Beyond manufacturing, Quandela is also exploring opportunities for collaboration within Korea’s burgeoning quantum clusters. Somaschi indicated a desire to engage with a wider network of researchers, developers and potential end-users. This approach, encompassing both manufacturing and research, aims to create a self-sustaining quantum computing ecosystem in Korea.

The company’s work with Mila, the Quebec AI Institute, on quantum machine learning research, and with the Seoul Metropolitan Government on a quantum technology development centre, further illustrates this commitment to supporting innovation through collaborative partnerships. Quandela’s technology uses photonic qubits, using the unique properties of light to encode and process quantum information. This approach offers several advantages, including the potential for room-temperature operation and compatibility with existing fiber optic networks.

The company’s open-source Perceval software and courses further democratize access to quantum computing, allowing researchers and developers to experiment with its technology. Integration of Welinq quantum memory with Quandela’s platform, completed in 2024, demonstrates a commitment to pushing the boundaries of quantum information processing, the company states. The company also demonstrated an approach to integrating quantum processors into AI and high-performance computing infrastructures using NVIDIA NVQLink, a move that could lead to new advancements for hybrid quantum-classical algorithms.

A partnership with Safran Tech will use Quandela’s photonic technology in the AQeFLU project to model fluid flows and reduce reliance on traditional wind tunnel tests, highlighting the potential for real-world applications beyond fundamental research. This diversification of applications, combined with its strategic partnerships and focus on Korean manufacturing, positions Quandela for sustained growth in the rapidly evolving quantum computing landscape, by the company’s account.

The company, with a headcount of approximately 130 people, is clearly aiming to translate its technological advancements into commercially viable solutions. Korea is seen as a critical component of that strategy.

Combining Quandela’s quantum computing expertise with Korea’s semiconductor manufacturing technology would make a perfect match.

Niccolo Somaschi, CEO at Quandela
More like this
Quantum Computing Business NewsKorea Quantum Industry Association joins study of global links
Quantum HardwareItalian firm QSENSATO gets €1M to build quantum sensor factory
Quantum Computing Business NewsPasqal ends defense program, eyes civilian quantum support
Artificial IntelligenceCGI Federal to research AI and quantum for Defense Logistics
Stay current

See today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals.

Tags:
NVIDIA quandela Quantum Computing semiconductor manufacturing
Avatar of Ivy Delaney

Ivy Delaney

Ivy Delaney has been working with neural networks and machine learning since the mid-nineties, back when a couple of hidden layers and a long afternoon of training counted as ambitious. She has watched the field go from academic curiosity to the thing quietly running underneath everything, and she brings that long view to quantum computing. For Quantum Zeitgeist she covers the ground where the two fields meet. That means quantum machine learning and the variational algorithms it leans on, and it also means the less glamorous but more interesting story of classical machine learning already doing real work inside quantum machines, decoding error-correcting codes, calibrating noisy hardware and learning the error models that simulators depend on. She writes about the hardware those algorithms have to run on too, and about the post-quantum cryptography scramble that the same hardware has set off. Her stories typically start with the paper, whether that is peer-reviewed work, conference proceedings or an arXiv preprint, with the source linked so you can hold a claim up against the research it came from. She is unimpressed by benchmarks that will not say what they beat, and by demonstrations that only work in the press release.

Latest Posts by Ivy Delaney: