QunaSys Inc. and SoftBank Corp. have jointly published a new white paper analyzing the practical requirements for applying quantum computing to industrial-scale numerical simulations.

Quantum computers are expected to offer significant advantages for numerical simulations whose computational cost grows exponentially on classical computers. However, for real-world industrial applications, the stringent resource requirements of fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQCs) remain a major practical challenge.

In this white paper, QunaSys and SoftBank examine quantum chemistry calculations and computer-aided engineering (CAE) as representative industrial use cases. The study provides a quantitative evaluation of the resources required to execute these workloads on FTQCs, including the number of logical qubits, logical gate counts, required logical error rates, and overall execution time.

The analysis highlights that the nature and scale of required resources differ substantially between quantum chemistry and CAE applications. While many practical numerical simulations implicitly assume the availability of FTQCs, the white paper also discusses how hybrid approaches that integrate quantum computing with high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI)—particularly in the NISQ to early-FTQC era—can be considered as an important area for future exploration.

By clearly outlining both the limitations and the potential of quantum computing, this white paper aims to provide a realistic technological pathway and a structured framework for evaluating quantum computing technologies in the context of industrial deployment.

QunaSys will continue to collaborate with industry partners to advance the practical adoption of quantum computing through rigorous analysis, algorithm development, and integration with existing computational technologies.

The white paper can be found on the following Softbank site.
https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/technology/research/topics/183/