Osaka University Wins ¥3 Billion NEDO Contract to Train Quantum PhDs

Osaka University's quantum center selected as sole recipient of three-year national program to address Japan's shortage of PhD-level quantum specialists through industry-academia collaboration with AIST.

OSAKA — Osaka University has been selected as the sole recipient of a ¥2.99 billion ($20 million) NEDO contract to train PhD-level quantum computing specialists over three years, partnering with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology’s G-QuAT quantum center.

The university’s Quantum Information and Quantum Biology Center will lead the program, running fiscal 2026 through 2028. Students enrolled in Osaka University’s quantum information science doctoral track — launched in April 2025 as a master’s and PhD integrated program — will receive stipends comparable to professional researcher salaries and access to G-QuAT’s quantum hardware through short-term placements, extended residencies, and remote mentorship. The curriculum focuses on quantum algorithm development (machine learning and computational chemistry) and quantum device design for semiconductor and superconducting systems.

Program structure

• Professional-level stipends for participating PhD candidates
• Hands-on training at AIST G-QuAT facilities
• Joint research forums between students and industry mentors
• Development tracks in quantum algorithms and hardware implementation

Why it matters: Google and IBM each field hundreds of quantum specialists across technical and leadership roles; Japan lags in PhD-level talent. QIQB Vice Director Makoto Negoro noted that even quantum startups abroad staff half their teams with doctoral experts. This is NEDO’s first funded effort to close that gap at scale. The program runs through March 2029.