Quantinuum, Rolls-Royce, Riverlane and University of Edinburgh Sign Agreement to Explore Quantum Computing for Industrial Design and Simulation

Quantinuum, Rolls-Royce, Riverlane, and the University of Edinburgh’s EPCC have entered a multi-year agreement to investigate how fault-tolerant quantum computing can enhance industrial design and simulation. The collaboration specifically targets complex fluid dynamics simulations used in gas turbine design, which currently face significant computational bottlenecks on classical supercomputers. This partnership is a strategic move for the quantum sector as it bridges the gap between foundational research and practical, large-scale industrial applications within a hybrid quantum-classical framework.

Quantinuum, Rolls-Royce, Riverlane, and EPCC (the UK National Supercomputing Centre) have formalized a collaboration to integrate quantum computing into industrial workflows. Under the terms of the agreement, Quantinuum will provide access to its quantum hardware and software environments, while Rolls-Royce contributes specific industrial design use cases and domain expertise. Riverlane is tasked with providing quantum error correction (QEC) and algorithmic capabilities, and EPCC will manage the supercomputing integration and hybrid workflow development. The primary focus is on modeling fluid dynamics inside gas turbines, a process that requires immense computing resources as models grow in complexity.

The partners intend to test computational building blocks for quantum algorithms on Quantinuum’s Helios quantum computer. The roadmap includes assessing how these algorithms will scale on future planned systems, specifically the Sol and Apollo hardware generations. This project builds upon five years of prior work between Rolls-Royce, Riverlane, and EPCC, which utilized classical emulators to understand algorithmic and data requirements. Leigh Lapworth, a Fellow at Rolls-Royce, emphasized that developing applications for teraQuOp devices—systems capable of one trillion error-free operations—requires long-term co-development of hardware and software starting now.

This initiative aligns with the UK’s national quantum mission to develop accessible, high-performance quantum systems capable of industrial-scale operations. Steve Brierley, CEO of Riverlane, noted that quantum error correction is the critical technology needed to unlock fault-tolerant applications across various industries. By exploring how different parts of an algorithm can be compiled and executed across both classical and quantum resources, EPCC aims to create the software interfaces necessary for a wider computing environment. For the quantum computing market, this represents a shift toward maturity, moving from theoretical research into the development of hybrid quantum-high-performance computing (HPC) solutions for real-world industrial challenges.