Mass production expected in 2026: Is the QPU, capable of replacing the GPU, on its way?

When will quantum computing become mainstream? The industry is still exploring. Recently, Google partnered with the UK's National Quantum Computing Centre to explore applications for its Willow quantum processor in chemistry and medicine.

Former Intel CEO Pat Kissinger believes that quantum computing will become widespread within two years and replace GPUs by 2030, forming a "trinity" of future computing alongside classical computing and AI. This process seems to be accelerating.

On December 9th, quantum hardware company QuantWare released its next-generation quantum processor architecture, VIO-40K, with plans for mass production in 2026 and the construction of the world's first dedicated quantum chip wafer fab in the Netherlands.

This architecture can support 10,000 qubits, nearly 100 times that of Google's Willow (105 qubits) and IBM's Heron (156 qubits). Unlike Google and IBM's full-stack approach, QuantWare positions itself as a quantum chip supplier, aiming to become the "Intel of the quantum computing era." Its architecture is compatible with NVIDIA's NVQLink platform, promoting the integration of quantum processors and GPU supercomputers.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also emphasized that the key to quantum computing lies in error correction, and the path to achieving this is the deep integration of quantum and classical computing. Currently, the technological routes for quantum computing have not yet converged.

QuantWare, Google, and others are using the superconducting route (solid-state system), while ion traps, photonic quantum computing, and other methods (atomic system) are also developing in parallel, each with its own trade-offs regarding stability, scalability, and fidelity. Although quantum physicist James Whitfield and others have expressed doubts about near-term commercial viability, the industry generally believes that industrialization is accelerating.

With the establishment of the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology" in 2025 and the Nobel Prize's recognition of the quantum field, this technology is moving from theory to application. As Kissinger stated, the next decade may be the most transformative period for quantum computing.