ORNL Forms 6 Groups to Build Open Quantum-HPC Stack
Updated
Updated · Scientific Computing World · Aug 25
ORNL Forms 6 Groups to Build Open Quantum-HPC Stack
3 articles · Updated · Scientific Computing World · Aug 25
Summary
Six technical working groups at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were launched to develop core pieces of an open, vendor-neutral software stack linking quantum processors with classical HPC systems.
The groups mark OpenQSE's shift from defining integration problems to producing deliverables, with teams assigned compilers, resource interfaces, system architecture, software architecture, application runtimes and control electronics over the next year.
A central goal is common interfaces and specifications that let applications run across diverse quantum and HPC platforms without locking users to one hardware vendor or software environment.
ORNL said the push reflects hybrid computing's likely near-term model, where quantum processors handle specialized tasks alongside CPUs, GPUs and supercomputers but still face hard scheduling, compilation, data-movement and feedback challenges.
The effort emerged from ORNL's 2026 Quantum Computing User Forum and OpenQSE workshop, which drew 184 researchers, developers and technology leaders as software integration gains importance alongside quantum-hardware advances.
As quantum hardware fights for dominance, can ORNL’s open software stack prevent a single vendor from monopolizing the future of supercomputing?
Beyond the integration hype, how will classical data centers handle the extreme low-latency demands of real-time quantum error correction across hybrid networks?