Yonsei University to launch next-generation quantum computer, the first at a university worldwide ... to tackle challenges in AI and biotech

[Financial News] Yonsei University will become the first university in the world to introduce and operate IBM’s next-generation quantum processor. Building on the latest platform installed this time, the university plans to expand quantum computing research that dramatically reduces computational errors and accelerate research into next-generation industries combining AI and biotech.
Yonsei University said it would hold a ceremony to launch its next-generation quantum computing platform on the 4th at the Quantum Computing Center on its Global Campus in Songdo, Incheon. After becoming the first in South Korea to introduce IBM’s first-generation quantum computer, Quantum System One, in 2024, Yonsei will now install IBM’s next-generation processor, IBM Nighthawk (Nighthawk R2), making it the first IBM customer in the world to do so.
The newly installed next-generation processor is distinguished by a major improvement in computational performance and accuracy over its predecessor. It consists of 458 physical qubits in total, including 120 “programmable qubits,” the core units that perform actual computations. Computational accuracy reaches about 99.7%, and its task-processing speed per second is 25 times faster than that of the previous model. This lays the groundwork for dramatically reducing computational errors, a longstanding limitation of quantum computers.
Yonsei University plans to make active use of the next-generation platform to develop new drugs and solve complex, AI-driven industrial problems. In particular, on the 6th, it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Cambridge’s UK-based technology commercialization organization to establish Cambridge Enterprise Seoul-Incheon Ripeu, Asia’s first global cooperation hub. Through this, it will substantially strengthen collaborative research with pharmaceutical and biotech companies at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, alongside the launch of the next-generation platform, Yonsei University is holding Yonsei Quantum Week 2026, a global quantum research event, through the 10th of this month, with research presentations by experts from Korea and abroad, public lectures, and other events.
Yonsei University President Dong-Sup Yoon said, “The launch of this next-generation quantum computing platform will be a decisive opportunity for us to emerge as a global quantum hub,” adding, “We will expand research collaboration across various industries, including AI and biotech, and contribute to the development of science and technology in Korea.” 

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter