D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NASDAQ: QBTS) has announced a new collaboration with the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
The partnership establishes the Quantum Supply Chain Initiative Support Fund within the SCMRC, targeting research and education focused on quantum computing applications in supply chain management.
The initiative is designed to advance thought leadership and independent research across retail, transportation and national defense supply chain sectors.
D-Wave has also joined the SCMRC’s partnership program, which currently includes more than 25 industry partners across a range of sectors.
The announcement was made during CSCMP EDGE 2026, a leading conference and exhibition hosted by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.
Supply chain decision-making requires organizations to simultaneously coordinate routes, inventory, facilities, schedules and workforce while balancing cost, speed, service and resilience.
As global supply networks grow more complex and disruptions carry greater consequences, quantum and hybrid-quantum computing approaches are emerging as complements to established classical methods.
Planned joint efforts between D-Wave and the SCMRC may include curriculum development, student learning opportunities and engagement with industry, government and academic stakeholders.
“Supply chains are highly dynamic, with decision-making that can have a far-reaching impact on efficiency and costs,” said Murray Thom, vice president of quantum technology evangelism at D-Wave.
Thom added that quantum computing technologies are “emerging as potentially powerful alternatives to existing classical approaches” and expressed enthusiasm for supporting a quantum-ready supply chain.
Brian Fugate, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs with Walton College, said quantum computing is “showing great potential to help organizations accelerate decision-making, mitigate disruption and drive better operational outcomes.”
“We’re excited to partner with D-Wave, one of the quantum computing industry’s foremost leaders, to bring quantum into our research portfolio and ultimately benefit students and partners alike,” Fugate said.
D-Wave describes itself as the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers and the only company offering dual-platform quantum computing products spanning both annealing and gate-model technologies.
More than 100 organizations across commercial, government and research sectors currently rely on D-Wave to address complex computational challenges using quantum computing systems and cloud services.
QBTS shares were trading down 4.77% at the time of the announcement, reflecting broader volatility in the quantum computing sector even as the company expands its academic partnerships.
