IBM announced significant advancements in quantum computing during its annual Quantum Developer Conference, marking significant progress toward achieving quantum advantage by 2026 and fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2029. The company unveiled new processors, software breakthroughs, and fabrication improvements aimed at accelerating the path toward practical, scalable quantum systems.
At the event, IBM introduced its most advanced processor to date, the IBM Quantum Nighthawk. The new chip features 120 qubits interconnected by 218 next-generation tunable couplers—over 20 percent more than the previous generation, IBM Quantum Heron. This enhanced architecture enables users to execute circuits with 30% greater complexity while maintaining low error rates. The system is expected to be delivered to users by the end of 2025.
Nighthawk’s increased qubit connectivity will enable exploration of more computationally demanding problems, supporting up to 5,000 two-qubit gates initially, with projections of 7,500 by 2026 and 10,000 by 2027. By 2028, Nighthawk-based systems could reach 15,000 gates, extending up to 1,000 or more connected qubits through long-range couplers.
IBM expects that the first verified cases of quantum advantage—where quantum computers outperform all classical systems—will be validated by the global scientific community by the end of 2026. To support this effort, IBM has joined with Algorithmiq, the Flatiron Institute, and BlueQubit to contribute results to an open, community-led quantum advantage tracker. This platform enables researchers to collaboratively test and validate instances of advantage across observable estimation, variational problems, and efficiently verifiable computations.
The company also unveiled new software capabilities in its open-source Qiskit platform. Dynamic circuit scaling now delivers a 24 percent improvement in accuracy across systems with more than 100 qubits. A new C-API execution model allows fine-grained control and high-performance computing (HPC)-accelerated error mitigation, cutting the cost of extracting accurate results by more than 100 times. IBM will continue enhancing Qiskit through 2027, adding computational libraries for machine learning, optimization, and physical and chemical modeling.
On the hardware front, IBM introduced the IBM Quantum Loon experimental processor, which demonstrates all core components necessary for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Loon integrates new architectural elements to implement scalable, high-efficiency quantum error correction, including multi-layer routing for long-range couplers and qubit reset technologies.
Complementing this, IBM achieved a milestone in quantum error correction decoding—using classical computing hardware to accurately decode quantum errors in under 480 nanoseconds. This milestone, accomplished a year ahead of schedule, achieved a tenfold speedup over current leading approaches.
In parallel, IBM announced that the primary fabrication of its quantum processor wafers is now taking place at the 300mm advanced wafer fabrication facility at NY Creates’ Albany NanoTech Complex in New York. This shift has doubled the company’s R&D pace, increased chip complexity tenfold, and allowed multiple processor designs to be developed simultaneously. The facility’s advanced semiconductor tooling enables IBM to rapidly iterate and enhance quantum chip designs while improving qubit performance and connectivity.
IBM continues to position itself as a leader in hybrid cloud, AI, and quantum computing solutions. With operations spanning over 175 countries, the company is leveraging these advancements to help governments and enterprises accelerate digital transformation across sectors including finance, telecommunications, and healthcare.
KEY QUOTES:
“There are many pillars to bringing truly useful quantum computing to the world. We believe that IBM is the only company that is positioned to rapidly invent and scale quantum software, hardware, fabrication, and error correction to unlock transformative applications. We are thrilled to announce many of these milestones today.”
Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow
“I’m proud that our team at Algorithmiq is leading one of the three projects in the new quantum advantage tracker. The model we designed explores regimes so complex that it challenges all state-of-the-art classical methods tested so far. We are seeing promising experimental results, and independent simulations from researchers at the Flatiron Institute validate its classical hardness. These are only the first steps – quantum advantage will take time to verify, and the tracker will let everyone follow that journey.”
Sabrina Maniscalco, CEO and Co-Founder, Algorithmiq
“BlueQubit is proud to support IBM’s efforts to track quantum advantage claims and algorithms as quantum computers are entering a regime beyond classical. Through our work around peaked circuits, we are excited to help formalize instances where quantum computers are starting to outperform classical computers by orders of magnitude.”
Hayk Tepanyan, CTO and Co-Founder, BlueQubit
