D-Wave and LG CNS sign MOU on quantum optimization in South Korea
D-Wave and LG CNS have signed a non-binding MOU to develop enterprise quantum optimization applications in South Korea and abroad.
D-Wave Quantum and South Korea’s LG CNS have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding the use of quantum optimization in South Korea and overseas markets. According to the announcement, the companies plan to pair D-Wave’s annealing-based quantum computing technology with LG CNS’s mathematical optimization and systems integration capabilities, targeting enterprise applications in manufacturing, telecommunications, finance and retail.
What was announced
The MOU was announced on October 28 at D-Wave’s Qubits Asia conference in Seoul by D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz and LG CNS President and CEO Hyun Shin-Gyoon, according to the company statement carried by The Quantum Insider. The agreement is non-binding, and the stated goal is to help move quantum optimization work beyond proof-of-concept projects and into production deployments.
The companies said they also intend to pursue joint go-to-market opportunities. In practical terms, the collaboration is expected to focus on optimization problems such as factory scheduling, delivery routing and resource allocation.
The technical and commercial split
Under the plan described in the announcement, D-Wave will contribute its annealing quantum computing platform, while LG CNS will bring industry domain knowledge, mathematical modeling and integration into customer systems. The release describes LG CNS as having end-to-end optimization capabilities spanning problem definition, mathematical modeling, algorithm validation and real-world implementation.
LG CNS has also been researching the use of mathematical optimization and quantum computing for industrial tasks, according to the announcement. Examples cited include image reconstruction and inspection, as well as detecting underground anomalies.
D-Wave framed the partnership around operational optimization, where the number of variables and constraints can make it difficult to find good solutions within required time limits. The company said its annealing approach is designed for such problems and added that customers are already running hybrid-quantum applications in production.
Why South Korea matters here
The deal points to South Korea as a target market for applied quantum computing rather than only research activity. LG CNS is positioned in the announcement as a local commercialization partner with access to enterprise use cases and implementation experience. For D-Wave, that offers a route into customer environments where optimization is already a familiar business tool.
Hyun Shin-Gyoon said quantum computing needs to be paired with strong industry understanding and optimization expertise to produce industrial results. Baratz, for his part, said the two companies intend to help enterprises move from evaluation to deployment.
What to watch
Because the agreement is a non-binding MOU, the next signal of progress will be whether the companies identify specific customer projects, convert pilots into production systems, or disclose joint commercial offerings. Another key question is whether the collaboration remains focused on South Korea or expands materially into other international markets, as the announcement suggests.
For now, the news is less about new hardware than about commercialization strategy: combining a quantum computing vendor’s optimization stack with a systems integrator that already works closely with enterprise customers. If that model succeeds, it could provide a clearer template for how annealing systems are adopted in day-to-day operations.
Sources
Facts on this page come from the sources below, retrieved by DesignQuantum.
- D-Wave and LG CNS Partner on Quantum Optimization in South Korea thequantuminsider.com