Company Announcements

Collaboration on quantum-classical integration, AI model development, and the expansion of the national quantum ecosystem

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 16, 2026-- IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), a global leader in quantum computing, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a collaborative business engagement with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI). This MOU, announced at NVIDIA GTC, outlines a shared vision for the organizations to explore the advancement of quantum-high performance computing (HPC) hybrid technologies incorporating NVIDIA accelerated computing and supporting the development of a robust ecosystem within South Korea.

“The scale and scope of this alliance represents a powerful convergence of quantum, AI, and classical supercomputing expertise,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. “By working with KISTI, we are seeking to create a pathway for South Korea to be a global leader in hybrid quantum-classical research. This initiative is intended to provide the foundational technology and AI models necessary to accelerate the practical application of quantum computing worldwide.”

“This collaboration with IonQ and NVIDIA is a critical step in building a national quantum-HPC infrastructure that can solve the most complex scientific challenges,” said Jaegyoon Hahm, Director of the Center for Quantum Computing Service at KISTI. “By leveraging NVIDIA AI and accelerated computing platforms alongside IonQ’s trapped-ion quantum systems, we are ensuring that South Korean researchers and enterprises remain at the forefront of the quantum era.”

The MOU focuses on seeking to establish a phased approach to integrate IonQ’s industry-leading quantum hardware with KISTI’s world-class HPC infrastructure using NVIDIA NVQLink, an open architecture that connects quantum computers to GPU-based supercomputers. By combining these technologies, the parties aim to conduct research and development on quantum-HPC hybrid applications, including the simulation of quantum algorithms and technologies for next-generation hardware.

Key initiatives anticipated under the MOU include:

• Hybrid Infrastructure Integration: Joint research on quantum-HPC hybrid technologies focusing on the integration of IonQ hardware and KISTI HPC infrastructure.
• Advanced Quantum Simulation: Joint research on the simulation of quantum algorithms, applications, and technologies for next-generation hardware.
• AI for Quantum: Development of AI models specifically designed to accelerate quantum technologies.
• Talent and Ecosystem Development: Mutual research visits, workshops, and training to develop local quantum talent and expand the computing ecosystem in Korea.
• Quantum for HPC and AI: Explore the use of quantum computers to boost the impact of current HPC and ML applications in areas such as logistics, chemistry, material science, and LLM fine tuning.

The MOU underscores IonQ’s continued momentum in the Asia-Pacific region and its commitment to providing flexible, hardware-agnostic solutions that interface with the world’s most advanced classical computing platforms. It reinforces IonQ’s regional commitment as evidenced through its collaborations with other partnerships in Korea with SK Telecom, Hyundai Motor Company, Intellian Technologies, and leading academic institutions such as Seoul National University and Sungkyunkwan University.

About IonQ

IonQ, Inc . [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum platform and merchant supplier - delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the forthcoming IonQ Tempo, will be the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, and AstraZeneca achieve 20x performance results and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance.

Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Toronto, and the United Kingdom. Our quantum computing services are available through all major cloud providers, while we also meet the needs of networking and sensing customers across land, sea, air, and space. IonQ is making quantum platforms more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.

IonQ Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected timing of closing of the transaction, the focus of Seed Innovations following the closing and its impact on and integration into our business. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as advance, accelerate, aim, approach, boost, commitment, create, design, develop, ensure, establish, expand, explore, focus, forthcoming, foster, future, initiatives, next-generation, pathway, potential, predictions, projections, should, target, will, and other similar expressions. These statements are only predictions based on our expectations and projections about future events as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may prove incorrect, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, among others, those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2025, June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025 filed with the SEC. New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can management assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement we make. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except as otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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IonQ Media Contacts:
Cheryl Krauss
cheryl.krauss@ionq.co

Tor Constantino
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IonQ Investor Contact:
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Source: IonQ