IBM and Nvidia still plan quantum computers. NEC will not build one.
NEC has pulled the plug on plans to develop a quantum computer, according to Japanese publication The Mainichi, CIO reported.
NEC sources told The Mainichi it would take at least a decade to build one that could be put to practical use, and the technology would be difficult to monetise.
NEC has not announced the halt. The article carries no direct NEC statement or declined-to-comment, so the news rests on The Mainichi's sources. NEC will continue quantum research, while stopping the development programme.
CIO notes that NEC is behind Japanese rivals Fujitsu and Hitachi. Nvidia and IBM are still expanding their quantum work. The number a CIO reads twice: Japan is set to commit 10 trillion yen, about $65.3 billion, to quantum computing by 2040.
CIO does not report whether Fujitsu, Hitachi, IBM or Nvidia are working to the same timeline or commercial assumptions. Building quantum hardware has a different payback period from supplying its infrastructure or selling quantum services. Research is another bet again.
Would at least a decade to practical use, with difficult monetisation, be enough to remove something from your investment portfolio?
Sources
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