PsiQuantum has announced a strategic collaboration with Airbus to develop and evaluate quantum algorithms specifically optimized for fault-tolerant quantum computers. Operating under the Airbus QuLAB project, the partnership aims to address the aerospace industry’s most complex computational challenges, primarily in fluid mechanics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The two companies have co-authored a technical paper, Simulating Non-Trivial Incompressible Flows With a Quantum Lattice Boltzmann Algorithm, which presents a validated approach for solving incompressible fluid flows under realistic conditions relevant to aircraft aerodynamics.
The joint research leverages the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), a “quantum-native” alternative to traditional Navier-Stokes-based CFD. Unlike classical solvers that often struggle with complex geometric boundaries and high Reynolds numbers, the Quantum Lattice Boltzmann Algorithm (QLBM) utilizes the inherent probabilistic nature of quantum states to map fluid density distributions directly onto qubits. This approach, built upon PsiQuantum’s Bounded Quantum Advantage framework, is designed to extract critical observables and features from exponentially large vectors faster than current supercomputing clusters allow. Validated on benchmark problems for aircraft aerodynamics, the method demonstrates a path toward simulating aerodynamic drag, vibration analysis, and impact modeling at scales previously considered computationally intractable.
Strategically, the collaboration utilizes Construct, PsiQuantum’s recently launched software suite for the design and optimization of fault-tolerant algorithms. Construct—which includes specialized tools like Workbench, Circuit Designer, and Resource Analyzer—enables Airbus researchers to map high-level algorithmic specifications onto PsiQuantum’s photonic error-correction framework. By analyzing resource bottlenecks and optimizing gate-count overhead before the hardware is fully deployed, the partnership aims to ensure that Airbus is “quantum-ready” for the arrival of utility-scale systems. This effort follows PsiQuantum’s broader mission to build a million-qubit, fault-tolerant photonic quantum computer at planned sites in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois.
Read the official announcement from PsiQuantum here and the technical preprint on arXiv here.
January 15, 2026
