New Mexico is intensifying its push to become a major player in the global race for quantum computing, partnering with Japanese technology company Fujitsu to establish a research center in the state.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the partnership on Thursday, The initiative will combine Fujitsu’s global technology expertise with the strengths of New Mexico’s universities, national laboratories and research institutions, she said.
The center will focus on quantum computing hardware, software, algorithms and theory, while helping train the next generation of scientists and engineers. It will also support student internships, research opportunities and workforce development programs.
“Fujitsu’s decision to partner with New Mexico is more proof that our bet on quantum is paying off,” Lujan Grisham said. “By pairing Fujitsu’s global expertise with the strength of our universities, national laboratories, and research community, we’re building an ecosystem where quantum innovation can thrive.”
The agreement significantly expands Fujitsu’s existing relationship with New Mexico State University, which began in 2025 and initially focused on the company’s FUJITSU-MONAKA processor and high-performance computing.
The new collaboration will extend that work into quantum computing and hybrid systems that combine conventional computing, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
Fujitsu will also conduct research with the Quantum New Mexico Institute at the University of New Mexico on quantum algorithms, applications and systems.
The partnership draws on the state’s concentration of scientific institutions, including Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.
Vivek Mahajan, Fujitsu’s chief technology officer, said the collaboration would create opportunities to advance the design, engineering and validation of quantum systems, as well as develop algorithms for fields including chemistry, materials science and advanced energy.
A $450 million bet on quantum technology
The announcement comes as New Mexico accelerates efforts to establish itself as a center for quantum research and commercialization.
When the Lujan Grisham administration launched its quantum initiative, there were no quantum companies in the state. Less than two years later, five companies have established a presence there, according to the administration.
Since 2019, New Mexico has invested more than $450 million in quantum-related infrastructure, underscoring its aim to turn scientific expertise into economic growth.
This month, the Quantum Lab for Roadrunner in Albuquerque has moved forward with programs aimed at workforce training. The shared facility is intended to connect national laboratories with private companies and startups.
Rob Black, secretary of the Economic Development Department, described the Fujitsu partnership as further evidence of the state’s growing quantum ecosystem. He also said trade missions to Japan had been essential to developing the relationship.
Quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to process information in ways that differ fundamentally from conventional computers. Although the technology remains under development, researchers are exploring its potential to tackle complex problems in areas such as materials discovery, chemistry and energy.
From quantum computers to ancient mass extinctions
The Fujitsu announcement is part of a broader surge in scientific research in New Mexico.
In early October, Cori Myers, a paleobiologist at the University of New Mexico, participated in an international study examining how Earth’s climate has shifted among five major climate states over the past 500 million years and how those shifts correspond with the planet’s five major mass extinction events.
To investigate the relationship between long-term climate conditions and biodiversity, the researchers combined evidence from carbon levels, temperature records and the fossil record.
Myers noted that Earth’s present climate state is associated with a relatively low level of climate vulnerability for biodiversity, but said that does not mean today’s wildlife is safe.
Species losses caused by human activity continue at alarming rates, raising concern that a sixth mass extinction could occur—one distinct from the climate-related changes recorded in the geological record.
Myers was scheduled to present the findings at the Geological Society of America meeting in Denver.
Discovery of exoplanets
Meanwhile, astronomers from New Mexico State University and Northwestern University discovered a young exoplanet by reanalyzing previously collected observations.
The gas giant, known as HD 143811 AB b, has a mass about five times that of Jupiter and is approximately 13 million years old, making it far younger than the 4.6-billion-year-old Earth.
The planet is about 400 light-years away and orbits a binary star system in which the two stars revolve around each other every 18 days. The planet takes about 300 years to complete one orbit.
The research team included Eric Nielsen, an assistant professor of astronomy at NMSU; several graduate students; Jason Wang of Northwestern; and lead author Nathalie Jones.
The finding emerged from a more detailed analysis of observations collected between 2016 and 2019 by the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey, along with data obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory in 2022.
Directly imaging planets outside our solar system remains difficult, making the discovery especially noteworthy.
The planet has often been compared to Tatooine, the fictional Star Wars world that orbits two suns. It is notable because it orbits relatively close to its two stars compared with other directly imaged planets in binary systems.
Studying such unusual planetary systems could help scientists better understand how planets form around more than one star and improve techniques for detecting smaller, potentially Earth-like worlds.
Also, this year, Diana Dragomir, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Mexico, has helped discover a giant exoplanet, Gaia23bra b, which is a super-Jupiter about 1.6 times Jupiter’s mass through micro-lensing.
Together, the developments highlight New Mexico’s expanding scientific capacity, from a major international initiative in quantum computing to research on the history of life on Earth and the formation of planets beyond our solar system.
