AZoQuantum speaks with Matt Rijlaarsdam, CEO of QuantWare, about the company’s approach to scaling superconducting quantum processors and addressing the hardware bottlenecks facing the industry. In this interview, Matt shares QuantWare’s vision for practical quantum computing, the importance of manufacturable qubit architectures, and how the company is positioning itself within the rapidly evolving quantum ecosystem.
What does the U.K. pledge signal about the global race to commercialize quantum technologies?
Quantum Computing is getting very close to its inflection point, and given how strategic the technology is, governments cannot afford to be left behind. The UK pledge is in line with this, and we expect this momentum to continue.
It reflects the accelerating global race to commercialize quantum technologies, with countries investing now to secure talent, infrastructure, and early market advantage as the technology moves closer to real-world deployment.
What does “quantum sovereignty” realistically look like for a country like the U.K., and which capabilities must be built domestically?
Sovereignty doesn’t mean building everything from scratch locally. It’s rather about building a valuable position within the global quantum supply chain and attracting the best international companies. Securing that provides both strategic autonomy and the ability to leverage this emerging market for domestic economic growth. The UK’s strategy is very aligned with this view.
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What key technical and manufacturing bottlenecks are preventing industrial-scale production and deployment?
Quantum hardware is today made in academic or pilot production facilities, and the field lacks true industrial production capabilities. That is why we position ourselves as the industrial quantum processor company, as true scaling will require industrial production at scale. QuantWare is focused on building manufacturable superconducting processors and scalable fabrication workflows that can move quantum hardware beyond bespoke lab systems and toward repeatable, high-volume production. Our open-architecture approach is designed to help customers and partners accelerate deployment without needing to build every layer of the stack themselves.
As the highest-volume supplier of quantum processing units, what has QuantWare learned about cost reduction and yield improvement that policymakers and quantum program managers often underestimate?
Success in getting to utility scale will be driven by economies of scale. The industry needs to reduce the cost-per-qubit 100x for systems to be economically viable. The more this industry moves to modular high-volume components, the further cost-per-qubit can be reduced. That is part of the reason why the Quantum Open Architecture approach is so important, as specialization drives volumes. Too often still, quantum programs focus purely on technical specifications and scientific one-off demonstrations, rather than actually building economic tools for people to solve important problems, which requires value chain thinking.
Why are open, interoperable architectures essential for scaling, and which standards or interfaces are most urgently needed?
High volumes are a necessity for cost reduction, which in turn is crucial for making quantum technology economically relevant. The only way to achieve those volumes is by assembling systems from modular, interoperable components. The standards set will be up to the market, but it will be dictated by whoever creates an interface that the industry can reliably build upon to develop at high volume.
How can interoperable components coexist with proprietary innovation, and where in the stack does differentiation matter most?
Open architectures actually accelerate proprietary innovation. It is the exact same principle that kicked off the PC revolution. Within any specific component layer – whether that’s the QPU, the control electronics, or the software – competition between vendors forces rapid differentiation and innovation. Interoperability ensures these best-in-class components can talk to each other.
QuantWare operates within a collaborative European quantum ecosystem and has benefitted from EU support. What lessons from this model are most relevant to the U.K. as it deploys its £2 billion program?
To attract truly disruptive companies, public funding programs need to be highly competitive, with little bureaucracy. It should be optimized for creating one or a few big winners rather than the least losers. Any public funding program should focus on commercial viability and market alignment, ensuring that the funding flows to companies that are equipped to survive and scale in the competitive commercial market, rather than just sustaining academic projects. This should include industrial production and economic criteria.
Can you talk about your partnership in the Quantum Open Architecture system in the U.S., and why is this collaboration a milestone for the industry?
We delivered the first QUB system to Elevate Quantum in Denver, Colorado recently. QUB (Quantum Utility Block) is a Quantum Open Architecture partnership between QuantWare, QBlox and Q-CTRL. Each partner owns a distinct layer of the stack: processors, control electronics, software, cryogenics.
We went from concept to full operation in five months, at a fraction of the cost of a closed, full-stack system. It’s also the first commercially deployable open architecture quantum system in the United States.
The Quantum Open Architecture philosophy is all about lowering the time and capital requirements to build world-class
quantum computers, as quantum will not scale through closed, vertically integrated approaches. This partnership is meant to further increase pace and ease of deployment, showcasing how a world-class quantum system can be built from interoperable components and deployed at commercial velocity. That changes the conversation about what’s actually possible as the field matures beyond the research stage.
About the Speaker
Matt Rijlaarsdam is the CEO and co-founder of QuantWare, the leading industrial quantum processor company. A trained engineer turned scale-up leader; Matt prioritizes industrializing quantum technology, focusing on manufacturable systems to enable utility-scale quantum computing. He leads the development of QuantWare’s VIO-40K™ architecture, enabling modular, heterogeneous quantum processors optimized for compute per dollar and per watt.
Matt advocates for open, industrial-scale approaches that reduce global dependency and accelerate practical deployment. He bridges deep technical insight with commercial strategy, championing a future where quantum computing moves from lab experiments to industrial reality.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited (T/A) AZoNetwork, the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and Conditions of use of this website.