Zapata Computing, L3Harris Partner to Explore Quantum Computing Solutions for DOD

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Zapata Computing, the software company building solutions to enterprises’ most computationally complex problems, announced that it has delivered 30 quantum computing challenge scenarios to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency alongside L3Harris and several other industry leaders. The scenarios will help determine potential quantum computing benefits across defense, chemistry, finance, machine learning and other areas.

As part of their $7.3 million contract with DARPA, Zapata and L3Harris are developing benchmarks that will guide the practical application of quantum computing and how it can support broader industry applications. The program will measure progress toward specific quantum computing challenges, such as creating new materials, simulating fluid dynamics, real-time machine learning, and engineering design optimization.

“For Zapata, this program is an opportunity to apply our quantum expertise to gain genuine insights about the practical utility of quantum computing in any time horizon,” said Yudong Cao, CTO and Co-founder of Zapata Computing. “Another asset that we are leveraging at Zapata is our experience in working with enterprise clients in the past years to discover and develop quantum use cases that are catered to the unique demands of each industry.”

The project creates benchmarks from real-world computational challenges. These benchmarks establish standards against which quantum hardware can be compared to attain the specific performance levels needed to solve complex, next-generation problems. These estimates will help the Department of Defense (DOD) harness the utility of quantum computers by providing a roadmap for how quantum technology can be utilized.

“Our quantum technology portfolio provides an exponential leap in innovation and performance over existing defense technologies,” said Chris Dorny, Head of Quantum Technology, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “We look forward to supporting DARPA in this pioneering effort to determine how, and when, our warfighters can best benefit from quantum computing.”