TreQ Deploys Open-Architecture Quantum Computing Testbed in Oxfordshire, UK
TreQ Deploys Open-Architecture Quantum Computing Testbed in Oxfordshire, UK TreQ has designed, built, and brought online its Open-Architecture Quantum (OAQ) Testbed, a fully operational multi-vendor system now in active use in Oxfordshire, UK. Part of Innovate UK’s Quantum Mission Pilot, the system utilizes a modular design that separates the processor, control hardware, and software layers through standardized interfaces. This “software-reconfigurable” architecture allows for eight distinct computing configurations within a single three-rack footprint. By enabling the full system to be switched via software without recabling or thermal cycling, the testbed allows for the direct side-by-side evaluation of different vendor technologies in a shared, engineered environment. The OAQ Testbed integrates components from across the global supply chain, including Rigetti’s Novera QPU and superconducting processors from QuantWare housed within a Maybell cryostat. The control infrastructure features platforms from Quantum Machines and Qblox, while calibration and performance monitoring are managed by Q-CTRL’s autonomous workflows and Qruise’s AI-powered digital twins. This vendor-agnostic approach shifts quantum infrastructure from fixed, single-vendor “black box” systems to adaptable architectures where users can swap out modular QPUs or control stacks as new technologies emerge, effectively extending the lifespan of the underlying capital infrastructure. To ensure solution portability, a TreQ-led consortium developed an open-source interface specification for low-level system integration. This specification, which has already been adopted by partners including Qruise, Q-CTRL, and Oxford Ionics (an IonQ company), supports multiple modalities, including both superconducting and trapped-ion systems. By defining transparent interfaces at the system level, TreQ aims to reduce the “vendor lock-in” that currently characterizes much of the quantum hardware market. This systems-engin
