The University of California, Berkeley and UK-based quantum control software firm QuantrolOx have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to industrialize superconducting quantum computing, moving qubit calibration, characterization and control from bespoke laboratory practice toward automated, reproducible workflows. The agreement, effective July 7 and announced August 4, 2026, pairs Berkeley's Department of Physics and its new Roger Herst Quantum Nexus with QuantrolOx's machine-learning platform for tuning qubits.
Inside the MOU
The framework is non-binding but covers end-to-end industrialization across materials research, quantum-enabled PDK/EDA development, QPU test and quality assurance, failure analysis, and operational runtime. A shared data architecture will serve as the connective layer for machine learning and agentic AI. Specific research or commercial engagements will be defined through separate agreements.
Berkeley's Superconducting Test Bed
Professor Irfan Siddiqi, whose group runs Berkeley's superconducting qubit program, called the university's "white-box" platform an ideal environment for validating QuantrolOx's commercial tools. "Bringing the strengths of academia together with in an open collaboration with industry is by far the most efficient path to a quantum computer relevant to real-world applications," Siddiqi said, adding the Roger Herst Quantum Nexus will host joint teams rather than remote coordination.
QuantrolOx's Bet On Automation
QuantrolOx CEO Vishal Chatrath said the partnership targets "common tools, automated workflows, shared data architectures, and a skilled workforce" — the four scale bottlenecks he says quantum computing must clear. Key research thrusts include integrated quantum control hardware and software (cryogenic electronics, crosstalk compensation, parallelisation), agentic AI for high-accuracy calibration, and physics-aware AI assistance for engineers. A workforce development track will train experimentalists and hardware engineers for both academic labs and commercial fabs.
Industry Backdrop
The Berkeley-QuantrolOx tie-up sits inside a rapidly accelerating quantum-industrialization push. Rigetti, HPE and Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center opened TangleLab, a nine-qubit hybrid testbed, in July, and IBM claimed a verified quantum advantage with Qedma and Algorithmiq at the end of the month. In parallel, capital continues to flow in: Quobly raised a €115M Series A in June to industrialize silicon spin qubits.
Reporting based on coverage from The Quantum Insider and QuantrolOx.