BMW Group, Airbus and Quantinuum Collaborate to Fast-Track Sustainable Mobility Research Using Cutting-Edge Quantum Computers
The joint group has developed a hybrid quantum-classical workflow, focusing on the chemical reactions of catalysts in fuel cells
Munich, Germany; Toulouse, France; and Cambridge, UK, August 2nd, 2023 — Airbus, BMW Group and Quantinuum, world leaders in mobility and quantum technologies, have developed a hybrid quantum-classical workflow to speed up future research using quantum computers to simulate quantum systems, focusing on the chemical reactions of catalysts in fuel cells.
In a new technical paper, "Applicability of Quantum Computing to Oxygen Reduction Reaction Simulations“, the three partners report accurately modeling the oxygen reduction reaction ("ORR") on the surface of a platinum-based catalyst. The ORR is the chemical reaction in the process that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity in a fuel cell and it limits the efficiency of the process. It is relatively slow and requires a large amount of platinum catalyst, so there is great interest and value in better understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in the reaction.
Using Quantinuum's H-Series quantum computer, the collaboration team has demonstrated the applicability of quantum computing in an industrial workflow to enhance our understanding of a critical chemical reaction. The three companies plan further collaboration to explore the use of quantum computing to address relevant industrial challenges.
Dr. Peter Lehnert, Vice-President, Research Technologies at BMW Group stated: “Circularity and sustainable mobility are putting us on a quest for new materials, to create more efficient products and shape the future premium user experience. Being able to simulate material properties to relevant chemical accuracy with the benefits from the accelerating quantum computing hardware is giving us just the right tools for more speed in innovation for this decisive domain.”
As a pioneer in the global automotive market BMW Group recognizes the transformative potential of quantum computing and its importance in researching new materials, where it can enable faster and more efficient processes while reducing lab prototypes. Approaching and accurately simulating one of the most fundamental electrochemical processes for the first time using quantum computing marks a substantial step towards the sustainable energy transition, benefiting metal-air batteries, and other products with enhanced efficiency.
Isabell Gradert, Vice-President, Central Research & Technology at Airbus said: “We can clearly envision the benefits of the study in our quest for sustainable and hydrogen powered alternatives such as the ZEROe aircraft, which may operate on fuel cell engines. The study confirms that quantum computing is maturing at the scale we need for aviation.”
Airbus has identified hydrogen as a promising candidate to power low-carbon aircraft, because it emits no CO2 when flying, when generated from renewable energy. The company previously announced plans to start testing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell propulsion system onboard its ZEROe demonstrator aircraft in the next few years. The company has the ambition to develop the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft for market entry by 2035.
Ilyas Khan, Chief Product Officer, Quantinuum said: “We have been excited to be working for some time now to support the BMW Group and Airbus, both leaders in their fields, and both of whom recognize that quantum computing could play a pivotal role in advancing future sustainable mobility. In this pioneering work, we demonstrate how to integrate quantum computing into the industrial workflows of two of the world's most technologically advanced companies, tackling material science problems that are a prime target for progress using quantum computing."
The research team hopes that understanding the ORR reaction provides insights that help them identify alternative materials that may improve the performance and reduce the production costs of fuel cells. Modeling chemical reactions such as the ORR accurately is an intractable task for classical computers, due to the quantum properties of the chemical mechanisms involved, making such simulations a good candidate to benefit from a potential quantum advantage in the future.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum is the world’s largest standalone quantum computing company, formed by the combination of Honeywell Quantum Solutions’ world-leading hardware and Cambridge Quantum’s class-leading middleware and applications. Science-led and enterprise-driven, Quantinuum accelerates quantum computing and the development of applications across chemistry, cybersecurity, finance and optimization. Its focus is to create scalable and commercial quantum solutions to solve the world’s most pressing problems in fields such as energy, logistics, climate change, and health. The company employs over 480 individuals, including 350+ scientists and engineers, at eight sites across the United States, Europe, and Japan. For more information, please visit https://www.quantinuum.com. The Honeywell trademark is used under license from Honeywell International Inc. Honeywell makes no representations or warranties with respect to this service.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.
About Airbus
Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide the most efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers the most modern and fuel-efficient airliners. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum, the world’s largest integrated quantum company, pioneers powerful quantum computers and advanced software solutions. Quantinuum’s technology drives breakthroughs in materials discovery, cybersecurity, and next-gen quantum AI. With over 500 employees, including 370+ scientists and engineers, Quantinuum leads the quantum computing revolution across continents.
Broomfield, CO, April 3rd, 2025 — Quantinuum, the industry leader in quantum computing with the world’s most powerful quantum computer, has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense, to participate in the first stage of the agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI).
QBI aims to assess the feasibility of building an industrially useful quantum computer by 2033. Successful QBI performers will advance through stages A, B, and C; Stage A requires performers to describe their utility-scale quantum computer with a path to near-term realization, where utility-scale means the computational value exceeds costs.
As validated in a recent independent benchmarking study by a group of institutions at the forefront of quantum computing research, Quantinuum’s quantum systems are the highest performing in the industry. Last year, Quantinuum published its development roadmap, outlining a path to a universal, fully-fault tolerant quantum computer by 2029. Beyond this public roadmap, Quantinuum plans to scale to even larger machines in the early part of the 2030s, aligning with the objectives of QBI.
“We are honored to collaborate with DARPA and look forward to working closely with their test and evaluation team as they assess our roadmap and technological approach,” said Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President and CEO of Quantinuum. “With our roadmap firmly on track, we are confident in our ability to deliver on DARPA’s objectives for QBI.”
Microsoft and NVIDIA will take part in Quantinuum’s Stage A effort, building on their long-standing collaborations with Quantinuum in advancing commercially scalable quantum computing.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum is the world leader in quantum computing. The company’s quantum systems deliver the highest performance across all industry benchmarks. Quantinuum’s over 550 employees, including 370+ scientists and engineers, across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan, are driving the quantum computing revolution.
Broomfield, CO, April 2nd, 2025 — Quantinuum, the industry leader in quantum computing with the world’s highest performing quantum computer, today announced that Quantum Origin, the company’s software Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG), has received National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) validation. Quantum Origin is the first software QRNG to achieve this validation, establishing it as a crucial tool for federal agencies and agency partners in their mandated migration to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) under National Security Memorandum 10. This achievement will help strengthen cybersecurity in the age of PQC.
Quantum Origin generates mathematically proven randomness — a capability unmatched by hardware-based QRNGs or traditional pseudo-random number generators. Unlike hardware solutions that require specialized equipment and can be affected by environmental factors, Quantum Origin delivers consistent, proven randomness through flexible software deployment. Proven quantum randomness is an essential foundation for comprehensive quantum security strategy alongside PQC.
"The evolving threat landscape demands a new era of cybersecurity solutions for governments, enterprises, and critical infrastructure," said Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President and CEO of Quantinuum. "Quantinuum is at the forefront of this transformation, driving innovation in quantum cybersecurity. Our recent certified randomness demonstration with JPMorganChase, and our NIST-validated Quantum Origin platform are just two examples of how we are deepening our portfolio to meet this critical need."
Quantum Origin is delivered entirely as self-contained software, making it adaptable to diverse environments from cloud solutions to highly sensitive systems. It can be deployed with zero network connectivity, enabling protection for air-gapped networks and confidential environments where traditional hardware-based QRNGs cannot operate effectively. It provides quantum-enhanced security without impacting the size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements of existing systems, a critical consideration for resource-constrained deployments.
U.S. Made using Quantinuum's quantum computers based in Colorado, Quantum Origin helps mitigate supply chain risks associated with foreign-sourced hardware components. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing NIST-approved cryptographic systems without requiring recertification. With this NIST validation, organizations can now accelerate their adoption of quantum-enhanced security within existing compliance frameworks.
Visit https://www.quantinuum.com/quantum-origin to learn how Quantum Origin can strengthen federal and enterprise cryptographic systems today.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum is the world leader in quantum computing. The company’s quantum systems deliver the highest performance across all industry benchmarks. Quantinuum’s over 550 employees, including 370+ scientists and engineers, across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan, are driving the quantum computing revolution.