OpenQSE workshop forms six groups to build quantum-HPC software stack

Amir Shehata, a systems software engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, led a workshop that formed six technical working groups to build key components of the quantum-HPC software stack. The event, held on the final day of the 2026 Quantum Computing User Forum, marked a shift from discussion to implementation for the open-source OpenQSE framework. “Last year, we were just starting to explore this space,” Shehata said.The second annual Open Quantum-HPC Software Ecosystem (OpenQSE) workshop resulted in the formation of six dedicated technical working groups, each tasked with building specific components for a functional quantum-HPC software stack. Amir Shehata of ORNL spearheaded the workshop, assembling experts from both industry and academia to define deliverables and accelerate the development of a vital software ecosystem.This workshop differed from the previous year’s event, which primarily focused on identifying challenges in integrating quantum and classical computing, by prioritizing actionable outcomes. The six groups established cover essential areas of the quantum-HPC stack: compilers, resource interfaces, system architecture, software architecture, application runtimes, and control electronics.Participants spent the day refining each group’s objectives, pinpointing key technical priorities, and establishing milestones to guide development over the next year, demonstrating a focused approach to overcoming existing hurdles. “Now we’ve broken the problem into specific areas, formed working groups and started developing actual implementations,” said Shehata. “We’re no longer just discussing what needs to be done; we’re defining deliverables and building the software ecosystem.” The collaborative spirit of the workshop extended beyond simply defining tasks, fostering direct engagement between organizations traditionally operating in separate spheres.Representatives from IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, AWS, Alice & Bob, and Qblox collaborated with researchers from ORNL and other institutions, tackling shared software challenges. NVIDIA, for example, is contributing to OpenQSE through work on Hierarchical Resource Scheduling (HRES) for the Slurm workload manager, aiming to seamlessly integrate quantum resources into established HPC scheduling workflows.HRES extends Slurm’s resource model to manage diverse resources, allowing quantum resources to be requested and scheduled alongside traditional HPC resources using familiar workflows. This commitment to sustained collaboration is reflected in the planned schedule for the coming year. Rather than relying solely on the annual workshop, the technical working groups will meet weekly or biweekly, supplemented by quarterly meetings alternating between virtual and in-person formats.“The problems we’re trying to solve are complicated enough that one day a year is just not enough,” Shehata explained. “We need regular opportunities to sit together, work through technical challenges and build solutions as a community.” This frequent interaction is intended to accelerate progress and ensure that challenges are addressed promptly and effectively. OpenQSE’s ultimate goal is to harness the combined power of quantum computing and HPC, recognizing that hardware advancements alone are insufficient for solving complex scientific problems.The initiative aims to create a software foundation that enables researchers to discover new materials, develop novel drugs, and address other significant challenges requiring both quantum and classical computational resources. “You won’t solve scientifically interesting problems with hardware alone,” Shehata stated. OpenQSE is focused on building that software foundation.” Organizers also intend to broaden participation in the OpenQSE initiative, actively seeking engagement from students and open-source software developers worldwide.This expansion is designed to foster a more inclusive and diverse community, accelerating innovation and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the quantum-HPC software ecosystem. “Discussions are good, but if they’re not paired with concrete deliverables, they’ll remain discussions,” Shehata said. “Our goal was for every working group to leave with a clear mission, defined responsibilities and actionable milestones that will drive progress between now and next year’s workshop.”Last year, we were just starting to explore this space. Source: https://www.olcf.ornl.gov/2026/08/24/openqse-workshop-advances-hybrid-quantum-hpc-software-ecosystem/ See today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals.Ivy Delaney has been working with neural networks and machine learning since the mid-nineties, back when a couple of hidden layers and a long afternoon of training counted as ambitious. She has watched the field go from academic curiosity to the thing quietly running underneath everything, and she brings that long view to quantum computing.

For Quantum Zeitgeist she covers the ground where the two fields meet. That means quantum machine learning and the variational algorithms it leans on, and it also means the less glamorous but more interesting story of classical machine learning already doing real work inside quantum machines, decoding error-correcting codes, calibrating noisy hardware and learning the error models that simulators depend on. She writes about the hardware those algorithms have to run on too, and about the post-quantum cryptography scramble that the same hardware has set off. Her stories typically start with the paper, whether that is peer-reviewed work, conference proceedings or an arXiv preprint, with the source linked so you can hold a claim up against the research it came from. She is unimpressed by benchmarks that will not say what they beat, and by demonstrations that only work in the press release.