BMW Group, Airbus and Quantinuum Collaborate to Fast-Track Sustainable Mobility Research Using Cutting-Edge Quantum Computers
The joint group has developed a hybrid quantum-classical workflow, focusing on the chemical reactions of catalysts in fuel cells
Munich, Germany; Toulouse, France; and Cambridge, UK, August 2nd, 2023 — Airbus, BMW Group and Quantinuum, world leaders in mobility and quantum technologies, have developed a hybrid quantum-classical workflow to speed up future research using quantum computers to simulate quantum systems, focusing on the chemical reactions of catalysts in fuel cells.
In a new technical paper, "Applicability of Quantum Computing to Oxygen Reduction Reaction Simulations“, the three partners report accurately modeling the oxygen reduction reaction ("ORR") on the surface of a platinum-based catalyst. The ORR is the chemical reaction in the process that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity in a fuel cell and it limits the efficiency of the process. It is relatively slow and requires a large amount of platinum catalyst, so there is great interest and value in better understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in the reaction.
Using Quantinuum's H-Series quantum computer, the collaboration team has demonstrated the applicability of quantum computing in an industrial workflow to enhance our understanding of a critical chemical reaction. The three companies plan further collaboration to explore the use of quantum computing to address relevant industrial challenges.
Dr. Peter Lehnert, Vice-President, Research Technologies at BMW Group stated: “Circularity and sustainable mobility are putting us on a quest for new materials, to create more efficient products and shape the future premium user experience. Being able to simulate material properties to relevant chemical accuracy with the benefits from the accelerating quantum computing hardware is giving us just the right tools for more speed in innovation for this decisive domain.”
As a pioneer in the global automotive market BMW Group recognizes the transformative potential of quantum computing and its importance in researching new materials, where it can enable faster and more efficient processes while reducing lab prototypes. Approaching and accurately simulating one of the most fundamental electrochemical processes for the first time using quantum computing marks a substantial step towards the sustainable energy transition, benefiting metal-air batteries, and other products with enhanced efficiency.
Isabell Gradert, Vice-President, Central Research & Technology at Airbus said: “We can clearly envision the benefits of the study in our quest for sustainable and hydrogen powered alternatives such as the ZEROe aircraft, which may operate on fuel cell engines. The study confirms that quantum computing is maturing at the scale we need for aviation.”
Airbus has identified hydrogen as a promising candidate to power low-carbon aircraft, because it emits no CO2 when flying, when generated from renewable energy. The company previously announced plans to start testing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell propulsion system onboard its ZEROe demonstrator aircraft in the next few years. The company has the ambition to develop the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft for market entry by 2035.
Ilyas Khan, Chief Product Officer, Quantinuum said: “We have been excited to be working for some time now to support the BMW Group and Airbus, both leaders in their fields, and both of whom recognize that quantum computing could play a pivotal role in advancing future sustainable mobility. In this pioneering work, we demonstrate how to integrate quantum computing into the industrial workflows of two of the world's most technologically advanced companies, tackling material science problems that are a prime target for progress using quantum computing."
The research team hopes that understanding the ORR reaction provides insights that help them identify alternative materials that may improve the performance and reduce the production costs of fuel cells. Modeling chemical reactions such as the ORR accurately is an intractable task for classical computers, due to the quantum properties of the chemical mechanisms involved, making such simulations a good candidate to benefit from a potential quantum advantage in the future.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum is the world’s largest standalone quantum computing company, formed by the combination of Honeywell Quantum Solutions’ world-leading hardware and Cambridge Quantum’s class-leading middleware and applications. Science-led and enterprise-driven, Quantinuum accelerates quantum computing and the development of applications across chemistry, cybersecurity, finance and optimization. Its focus is to create scalable and commercial quantum solutions to solve the world’s most pressing problems in fields such as energy, logistics, climate change, and health. The company employs over 480 individuals, including 350+ scientists and engineers, at eight sites across the United States, Europe, and Japan. For more information, please visit https://www.quantinuum.com. The Honeywell trademark is used under license from Honeywell International Inc. Honeywell makes no representations or warranties with respect to this service.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.
About Airbus
Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide the most efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers the most modern and fuel-efficient airliners. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum, the world’s largest integrated quantum company, pioneers powerful quantum computers and advanced software solutions. Quantinuum’s technology drives breakthroughs in materials discovery, cybersecurity, and next-gen quantum AI. With over 500 employees, including 370+ scientists and engineers, Quantinuum leads the quantum computing revolution across continents.
Source: PRNewswire - Honeywell
Charlotte, N.C., May 8th, 2026 — Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced that Quantinuum, a leading, full-stack quantum computing company, has publicly filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to a proposed initial public offering of shares of its Class A common stock.
The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. Quantinuum intends to list its Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “QNT.”
J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley (in alphabetical order) are acting as joint lead active book-running managers for the proposed offering. Jefferies and Evercore ISI are also acting as active book-running managers.
The proposed offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.
The proposed offering will be made available only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus, when available, may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com and postsalemanualrequests@broadridge.com; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department or by email at prospectus@morganstanley.com; Jefferies LLC, Attn: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, by telephone at (877) 821-7388 or by email at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com; or Evercore Group L.L.C., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 55 East 52nd Street, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10055, by telephone at 888-474-0200 or by email at ecm.prospectus@evercore.com.
The registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
About Honeywell
Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter, safer, as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum is a leading quantum computing company offering a full-stack platform designed to make quantum computing deployable in real-world environments. The company has commercially deployed multiple generations of quantum systems built on the well-established QCCD architecture, which it has implemented with novel designs and capabilities to achieve the industry’s highest accuracy levels based on average two-qubit gate fidelity as of December 31, 2025. Quantinuum has active engagements with market leaders across pharmaceuticals, material science, financial services, and government and industrial markets. Quantinuum’s headquarters is in Broomfield, Colorado, with additional facilities across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Singapore.
Contacts:
Media
Stacey Jones
(980) 378-6258
Stacey.Jones@honeywell.com
Investor Relations
Mark Macaluso
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Mark.Macaluso@honeywell.com
- The companies plan to continue their co-creation partnership to advance future mobility
- BMW to access the latest generations of Quantinuum systems throughout the partnership
- Advanced materials science research supports a range of next-generation technologies
Broomfield, Colorado, May 5th, 2026 — Quantinuum and BMW Group have formally expanded their ongoing collaboration into a multi-year partnership with a mission to unlock future mobility by applying quantum computing toward advanced materials science.
Since 2021, Quantinuum and BMW Group have been collaborating on joint research focused on tackling complex challenges in industrial chemistry to support the advancement of next-generation mobility. The collaboration has progressed from foundational algorithm development to advanced simulations of molecular systems, allowing the researchers to unlock insights into catalytic activity, reaction pathways, and material performance in energy-relevant environments.
The companies have now agreed to extend the work, positioning the alliance to become one of the longest-sustained commitments between a commercial enterprise and a quantum computing provider to date.
“Quantinuum is focused on driving commercial adoption of quantum computing through close collaboration with industry leaders on high-impact applications," said Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President and CEO of Quantinuum. “Our expanded partnership with the BMW Group underscores this focus, and we’re excited to scale the meaningful work we’ve been advancing together.”
Researchers at BMW Group are utilizing Quantinuum's trapped-ion architecture, which provides the high-fidelity operations necessary to accurately simulate molecular systems, particularly electrochemical processes that play a critical role across a range of technologies relevant to sustainable mobility and the design and optimization of fuel cells.
Under the terms of the agreement, BMW Group will leverage successive generations of Quantinuum’s quantum computers. This includes the current Helios system and upcoming generations, Sol (planned for 2027) and Apollo (planned for 2029). This will enable the teams to validate progress at each stage while scaling toward industrially meaningful solutions.
“We have been exploring quantum computing for many years,” said Dr. Martin Tietze, Vice President of New Technologies at BMW Group. “Together with partners such as Quantinuum, we translate advances in quantum hardware into real‑world applications, including materials optimization, supporting the development of future vehicle generations.”
Quantinuum’s progress toward large-scale, fault-tolerant systems helps to ensure that as the hardware reaches milestones in performance, BMW can apply that computational power to catalyst chemistry research, targeting critical oxygen reduction reaction processes at platinum catalysts to potentially lower costs and improve energy efficiency.
The companies broke new ground in 2024, alongside another commercial partner, as the first to simulate catalytic performance using a quantum computer with results published in Nature Partner Journal.
Beyond its technical achievements, the collaboration has evolved into a deeply connected, cross-disciplinary effort, bringing together quantum scientists, chemists, and engineers in a sustained partnership that reflects both the complexity of the challenge and the scale of the ambition.
About Quantinuum
Quantinuum is a leading quantum computing company offering a full-stack platform designed to make quantum computing deployable in real-world environments. The company has commercially deployed multiple generations of quantum systems built on the well-established QCCD architecture, which it has implemented with novel designs and capabilities to achieve the industry’s highest accuracy levels based on average two-qubit gate fidelity.[i] Quantinuum has active engagements with market leaders across pharmaceuticals, material science, financial services, and government and industrial markets.
The company has a global workforce of approximately 700 employees, including top scientists and researchers. Over 70% of its technology team hold PhDs or Master's degrees. Quantinuum’s headquarters is in Broomfield, Colorado, with additional facilities across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Singapore.
For more information, please visit www.quantinuum.com.
[i] As of December 31, 2025.
Source: PRNewswire - Honeywell
Charlotte, N.C., April 22nd, 2026 — Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced that Quantinuum LLC (“Quantinuum” or the “Company”), which is majority owned by Honeywell, confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 17, 2026, relating to the proposed initial public offering of Quantinuum’s common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The offering is subject to market and other conditions and the completion of the SEC’s review process.
This press release is being made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Rule 135 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities, will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Contacts:
Media
Stacey Jones
(980) 378-6258
Stacey.Jones@honeywell.com
Investor Relations
Mark Macaluso
(704) 627-6118
Mark.macaluso@honeywell.com