Fujitsu is a multinational IT company operating in over 180 countries. How would you describe Fujitsu’s focus and footprint in North America?
Fujitsu has a global presence, with a major focus in Japan and significant footprints in Europe. However, in North America, our presence is smaller. Despite this, North America, particularly places like Silicon Valley, is a hotbed for research and innovation, driving major advancements in technology every few years. We want to be part of that momentum.
To leverage this ecosystem, we have a research lab in Silicon Valley that acts as a conduit for innovation, drawing on partnerships with world-class universities like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Toronto. These collaborations allow us to tap into cutting-edge research while testing our innovations in the ecosystem of startups and academic environments.
Fujitsu’s research spans many technologies such as quantum computing, digital twins, and ethical AI. How do you prioritize these domains in North America, and how do you ensure alignment with Fujitsu’s global sustainability goals?
Setting priorities for research is both an art and a science. We employ a mixture of "bottom-up" and "top-down" research strategies. Bottom-up research is market-driven, based on signals from the industry about emerging technologies and revenue opportunities. This helps us focus on short-term, practical research that delivers business outcomes within 2–3 years.
Top-down research, on the other hand, is driven by emerging technologies in academia, such as quantum computing, where business impact may take 10–15 years. Our hybrid approach helps us balance both immediate market needs and long-term innovations while ensuring that all research aligns with Fujitsu’s sustainability and global goals.
How do you determine when research moves from "blue sky" projects into customer-facing pilots or actual products?
The transition from research to product is incremental. For example, quantum computers are still in the early stages—small, noisy, and imperfect. However, we’ve developed quantum simulators that allow customers to build applications and test them on a classical computer before migrating to actual quantum machines as they become available.
Another strategy involves creating testbeds for customers to experiment with noisy quantum computers, even when they are not fully ready. For example, we work with companies in Asia that are exploring and learning about quantum computers. They are proposing to test their components on Fujitsu’s open systems, allowing them to refine their technology and integrate it into the quantum computing ecosystem.
Could you share a recent example of how Fujitsu is leveraging this approach?
One example involves our 64-qubit and 256-qubit quantum computers, which we are actively promoting to customers. For instance, a company in Asia is developing components for quantum systems, and they wanted an open system to integrate and test their products. Unlike other vendors, Fujitsu allows for these types of integrations, helping to foster a more collaborative, open ecosystem. This approach also allows customers to evolve their own technology while contributing to the overall development of quantum computing.
What are the biggest technical bottlenecks in quantum computing today, and how is Fujitsu positioned to address them?
The two main challenges in quantum computing today are scale and quality. While we are making progress, the number of qubits we can create is still limited. Our roadmap aims to reach 10,000 qubits by 2030, but increasing the number of qubits alone is not enough. We must also improve gate fidelity—the precision with which quantum gates are applied.
Currently, quantum gate fidelity is lower than traditional silicon gates, meaning errors accumulate quickly during computations. To overcome this, we are exploring redundancy and error correction techniques that use multiple qubits in parallel to achieve greater fault tolerance. This will help improve the reliability and scalability of quantum computers over time.
How do you differentiate between near-term quantum-inspired advantages and true quantum advantages, especially with technologies like quantum simulators?
Quantum-inspired technologies, such as our Digital Annealer and quantum simulators, offer a glimpse of quantum computing’s potential but are limited by scalability. For instance, our quantum simulator can simulate up to 40 qubits, but each additional qubit doubles the resources needed. This exponential resource demand makes it unsustainable for large-scale problems.
Ultimately, quantum simulators can only go so far before the need for real quantum hardware becomes unavoidable. That’s why we are investing heavily in developing true quantum computers to overcome these bottlenecks and scale up beyond the limits of classical computing systems.
How does Fujitsu ensure that sustainability and ethics are embedded in technologies like AI and digital twins?
Fujitsu is committed to sustainability through innovations like social digital twins. For example, we worked with the Isle of Wight to optimize the placement of electric scooters, thereby reducing carbon emissions by encouraging more scooter use over cars. We created a digital twin of the island to simulate traffic flow and maximize scooter utilization near ferry terminals. This approach helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving scooter usage and efficiency.
In terms of AI ethics, we have developed a suite of tools to help organizations ensure their AI systems comply with regulations, minimize bias, and maintain trust. These tools are designed to check for compliance, governance, and trust, offering feedback on areas that need improvement. With stricter regulations in the European Union, we ensure that our AI systems meet the necessary ethical standards.
What university or startup partnerships have been the most productive for Fujitsu in North America?
One of our most productive collaborations has been with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), particularly in the areas of robotics and computer vision. Our partnership has led to the development of 3D traffic simulation technologies, which can provide insights into traffic flow and help city planners optimize signal timing or analyze traffic bottlenecks. This technology is currently being tested in cities like Pittsburgh.
In addition to academic partnerships, we also collaborate with startups like MoBagel to integrate our lab technologies into their products. Many startups face scaling challenges, and by co-developing solutions with them, we can leverage their innovation while helping them scale with Fujitsu’s established resources. This symbiotic relationship allows us to increase the utilization of our lab technologies while helping startups grow.
Can you explain how Fujitsu uses Silicon Valley’s ecosystem to scale technologies from the lab into market-ready products?
Fujitsu has adopted a business model where we collaborate with smaller companies to co-create solutions. Startups often lack the resources to fully scale technologies, but by partnering with Fujitsu, they can integrate our lab-developed technologies into their solutions, enabling them to bring more powerful products to market. In return, we enter royalty-sharing agreements, which helps fund further research while benefiting both parties.
This collaboration with startups in Silicon Valley has allowed us to scale quickly, utilizing their market-driven innovations alongside our cutting-edge technologies. This partnership model ensures that both Fujitsu’s technology and the startups’ products reach their full potential in the marketplace.
Fujitsu Research of America is based in Silicon Valley, which is known for its groundbreaking technological advancements. How does the environment in Silicon Valley inspire you and Fujitsu’s future direction?
Being in Silicon Valley provides invaluable exposure to groundbreaking ideas and forward-thinking professors from top universities like CMU, Stanford, and Berkeley. The constant flow of innovative technologies and the opportunity to engage with thought leaders in the field inspire our approach to research and development.
This environment keeps us on the cutting edge, constantly learning and adapting. It also influences our commitment to bringing those innovations back to Fujitsu, helping us build products that support our vision of global sustainability. This alignment of local innovation with global business goals drives us to continue pushing boundaries and creating impactful technologies.
Are there any future collaborations with universities you’re particularly excited about?
While we don’t have any large-scale collaborations with Princeton, my alma mater, we’re open to working with universities across the globe. Our experience with Carnegie Mellon has been highly productive, particularly because they are receptive to co-developing technologies and providing access to state-of-the-art facilities, like their new robotics innovation center.
We are always on the lookout for universities that can offer the same level of support and collaboration. Our goal is to expand our ecosystem of partnerships, which will allow us to develop more groundbreaking technologies and bring them to market faster.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Fujitsu Research of America?
The future is incredibly exciting. Silicon Valley continues to be a hotbed for innovation, and our deepening collaborations with universities, startups, and research labs are helping us stay ahead of the curve. Fujitsu is uniquely positioned to lead in the areas of quantum computing, digital twins, and AI ethics, and our focus on sustainability will ensure that our innovations have a lasting positive impact on society.
Fujitsu Research of America is not only shaping the future of technology but also contributing to a global vision of sustainability and trust. We are committed to creating technologies that not only push the boundaries of innovation but also contribute to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.
