Singapore has launched a national initiative aimed at accelerating advancements and synergies between supercomputing, quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) research.
Dubbed HQCC 1.0 (hybrid quantum-classical computing), the initiative will focus on attracting, developing, and retaining talent while driving industrial applications in computational biology, finance, and logistics.
HQCC 1.0 will build on the expertise at the National Quantum Computing Hub and leverage the high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure of the National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore. It will also tap on middleware and software development expertise from A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing and the Centre for Quantum Technologies.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) has set aside $24.5 million for HQCC 1.0 to support research in hybrid computing middleware, algorithms, and software tools, enabling closer integration between HPC and quantum technologies.
“Hybrid quantum-classical computing represents a new frontier for Singapore where the unique qualities of both technologies are being brought to bear to strengthen Singapore’s competitive edge on the global stage,” says Dr Terence Hung, chief executive of NSCC Singapore.
Strategic public-private partnerships
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Several strategic partnerships were also formalised at SupercomputingAsia 2025 to further accelerate advancements between supercomputing and quantum technology.
NSCC Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AMD to establish a Centre of Excellence.
The COE will drive innovation, talent development, and HPC-driven solutions across key sectors by leveraging AMD’s latest portfolio of processors and accelerators, tools, applications, and development platforms designed to advance HPC and AI research.
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Additionally, NSCC has signed an MoU with CSC Finland, which manages LUMI (one of European Union’s most powerful supercomputers). The partnership will focus on promoting the use of HPC, sharing best practices and enhancing HPC capabilities in areas like AI, HPC-Quantum, digital twin technologies, and green data centre technologies, among others.
The agreement also opens the door for joint workshops, talent development programmes, and other international multilateral initiatives.
Besides that, NSCC Singapore is expanding its efforts in talent development through the launch of the Young Investigator Seed Project (YISP) and its collaboration with Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) on a compute pilot initiative for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups.
YISP is designed to support early-career researchers, while the industry collaboration with DISG will enable SMEs and startups to leverage HPC resources for research and innovation, and receive training on using on-premise HPC resources.
Both initiatives are part of NSCC Singapore’s new thrust, which is aimed at streamlining, prioritising and optimising the allocation of national HPC resources. By providing training and access to supercomputing resources, these programmes empower early-career researchers, SMEs, and startups to accelerate research, drive innovation, and enhance their competitive edge in the market.
“These initiatives, together with the enthusiasm of the commercial service providers, help to ensure that compute resources in Singapore fully support the breadth and depth of enterprise innovation and hopefully make an impact beyond our shores,” says Josephine Teo, Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information, in her opening speech at SupercomputingAsia 2025.
At the same event, Hung says: "HPC is more than just compute; it drives real-world impact. We’re exploring new ways to improve [HPC] accessibility with the private sector [and through international collaboration] so that researchers have [the compute] power to drive innovation."
He adds that NSCC Singapore will be procuring the “next supercomputer for research, which will be ready by the end of 2025”. This adds to NSCC’s line-up of supercomputers, including the Aspire 2A+ and 2A that were unveiled last year.
