POSCO Holdings "Hydrogen Reduction Steelmaking to Be Made with Quantum Computers"

POSCO Group Integrates 'AI Technology' with 'Quantum Computers'
To Collaborate with France's Pascal and Korea's Qnova
Also Analyzing Characteristics of Secondary Battery Materials like Solid Electrolytes

POSCO Holdings has partnered with domestic and international quantum computer specialists to secure leading technologies essential for the group’s new growth businesses.

At the ‘Quantum Korea 2023’ event hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT from the 26th to the 29th at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul, POSCO Holdings announced cooperation with France’s Pascal and Qnova to develop quantum computer technologies. POSCO Holdings and Pascal serve as the chairman and vice chairman companies, respectively, of the ‘Quantum Computing Industry Leading Companies Alliance.’

Pascal is a French quantum computer development company founded last year by Alain Aspect, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist from Paris-Saclay University. It possesses expertise in developing hardware and software for quantum computers. Qnova is Korea’s first quantum computer venture company, specializing in quantum computing software development for new materials and drug discovery.

POSCO Holdings plans to combine POSCO Group’s AI technology with Pascal’s quantum computer technology to focus on optimizing hydrogen production processes used in eco-friendly steelmaking and developing secondary battery materials.

Kim Ji-yong, Head of Future Technology Research Institute at POSCO Holdings (right), shakes hands after discussing quantum computer collaboration with Georges Olivier Raymond Pascal, CEO, at the Future Technology Research Institute in Seoul on the 23rd of last month. Photo by POSCO Holdings

Quantum computers utilize quantum physical properties that cannot be explained by classical physics, such as particles existing simultaneously in two states or two distant particles being entangled in the same state, enabling calculations faster than conventional computers. Once commercial development is complete, quantum computers are expected to solve global challenges related to food and health that supercomputers cannot address, and bring innovation to various fields including automotive, chemical, medical, logistics, and finance. The quantum sector was selected as one of the 12 national strategic technologies announced by the government last year.

A consortium led by POSCO Holdings applied for the Korea Research Foundation’s ‘Quantum Computing-Based Quantum Advantage Challenge Research Project’ and was selected as a national project in April. The POSCO Holdings consortium will receive approximately KRW 2.75 billion in funding from the Ministry of Science and ICT over about three years for the project titled ‘Development of Quantum Computing-Based Eco-Friendly Material Design Simulation Technology.’ The project aims to improve the accuracy of material property analysis, such as solid electrolytes, and reduce processing time by utilizing quantum computers.

Kim Ji-yong, Head of Future Technology Research Institute at POSCO Holdings (CTO of POSCO Group), stated, “We expect to apply quantum computer technology to the group’s core businesses of steelmaking and eco-friendly future material technology development.” Georges Olivier Raymond, CEO of Pascal, said, “Quantum computers have the potential to perform computational tasks that were difficult for conventional computers.” Lee Jun-gu, CEO of Qnova, commented, “Through this collaboration, Qnova’s quantum algorithms will overcome the limitations of existing supercomputers and enable the discovery and commercialization of new material designs.” The three companies plan to hold regular technology exchange meetings going forward.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.