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SoftBank and Five Firms Begin Quantum Materials R&D
SoftBank, TOPPAN Holdings, AISIN, Asahi Kasei, AGC and DIC have agreed to develop a materials research platform combining quantum-computing calculations with AI. The NEDO-backed project will test materials applications from next-generation
Quantum.world Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
Six firms set a three-year research program
SoftBank, TOPPAN Holdings, AISIN, Asahi Kasei, AGC and DIC have agreed to develop a materials research platform that combines quantum-computing calculations with artificial intelligence. The companies announced the joint agreement on October 28, saying the work will run from fiscal 2026 through fiscal 2028. Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO, selected the proposal under its post-5G research program.
The project’s selection was already included in NEDO’s July 17, 2026, notice on large-scale demonstrations for quantum-computing use cases. The October announcement describes the companies’ agreement and their planned work, rather than a newly announced selection. Neither the companies’ release nor NEDO’s selection notice states a project funding amount.
Battery, optical and superconducting materials are in scope
The consortium plans to test quantum-computing methods across several materials categories, rather than focus on one product. Its stated targets include battery materials, optical-function materials for displays and sensors, and superconducting materials for next-generation devices. The work also calls for synthesizing materials and evaluating their performance, then comparing experimental results with simulations to refine predictions.
The division of work connects those tests to each company’s existing materials interests. AISIN will examine superconducting materials, while Asahi Kasei will study organic compounds such as electrolytes, polymers and inorganic materials such as electrodes. AGC’s work includes optical glass and electronic materials; DIC plans to predict properties of colorants and semiconductor materials before synthesis. TOPPAN will test hybrid quantum-and-classical methods for additive materials and provide experimental feedback.
SoftBank links quantum processors to supercomputers
SoftBank’s role is to use a computing platform that connects quantum computers with supercomputers to generate data for materials research, alongside AI-based data-use methods. The company says it will demonstrate the approach across multiple domains, including energy-related materials such as next-generation batteries. The announcement does not identify a particular quantum processor, specify a qubit count, or provide performance benchmarks for the planned platform.
That restraint matters because the release describes the work as verification, not as a demonstrated materials-discovery advantage. The companies say current limits in qubit counts and error rates make large-scale calculations on quantum computers alone difficult. Their project instead combines quantum calculations with AI and other computing approaches, then checks simulation predictions against laboratory synthesis and testing.
NEDO’s selection includes other application projects
The materials consortium is one of several projects listed by NEDO under its large-demonstration category for quantum-computing use cases. Other selections cover such areas as drug-candidate screening, material simulation for batteries, logistics and protein engineering. The program’s notice says the broader demonstrations are intended to test applications in real operating environments, not only on computers.
For this six-company team, the practical test is whether simulations can guide actual material synthesis and evaluation across different industrial fields. The project’s own plan makes comparison with experimental results a central part of that test. Its published schedule runs through fiscal 2028, with the companies aiming to combine quantum, AI and experimental data in a shared materials-development platform.