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In an interview published by The Quantum Insider on Oct. 17, 2026, computer scientist and company co-founder Robert Wille argued that quantum computing needs software design automation, not only new algorithms. He described the field as moving from basic research toward practical applications, while stressing that compatible tools must support different hardware types and fit into high-performance computing environments.
Computer scientist Robert Wille said quantum computing will need software design automation and tools that connect different hardware platforms to users, as the field shifts from basic research toward practical applications. In an interview published by The Quantum Insider on Oct. 17, 2026, Wille discussed software development, open-source ecosystems and the challenge of integrating quantum processors with high-performance computing systems.
Wille, who works at the Technical University of Munich and co-founded a company to develop quantum software, described quantum computing as being in a transition phase. He said the field has spent much of its history in basic research and is now moving toward applied research, with practical applications still ahead. He characterized this period as demanding because software must work in practice rather than remain an experimental exercise.
He argued that quantum software should be built for a heterogeneous computing environment, where quantum processors operate alongside CPUs, GPUs and other specialized technologies. That requires software that can help match applications to suitable computing resources, rather than treating quantum hardware as a standalone system or assuming it will serve only a narrow set of algorithms.
Wille praised IBM’s Qiskit for its open-source approach and role in building a community, but said other approaches, including MLIR and QIR, also have a place. He called for development paths to remain as compatible as possible while accommodating differences among superconducting, neutral-atom and ion-trap machines. He also emphasized that users should not need to manage those hardware differences themselves.
Software Must Bridge Quantum Hardware
Quantum processors alone do not make quantum computing usable. Software has to connect end users and applications to hardware, translate workloads into instructions a machine can run, and account for differences between devices. Wille’s argument puts design automation at the center of that work: the field needs methods to automate complex design and optimization tasks, not just a growing catalog of algorithms.
The issue matters to companies and researchers deciding how to invest in quantum computing. If tools are tied to one hardware type or programming environment, developers may face repeated work when moving applications between platforms. If tools are incompatible, users could encounter fragmented ecosystems and limited portability. Wille’s emphasis on shared compatibility alongside specialized support reflects that tension.
His comments also connect quantum development to established computing infrastructure. Integrating quantum processors into high-performance computing (HPC) environments could let organizations use quantum resources as one component in larger workflows. The interview presents this as a software challenge as much as a hardware one; it does not report a specific deployment or measure the performance of such integration.
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From University Research to Production
Wille said he has worked in quantum computing for more than 15 years and combines academic work with entrepreneurship. He described the company, founded a little more than a year before the interview, as a way to take university innovations and develop them into production-ready commercial software. The interview does not provide a company name in the supplied material.
In discussing programming tools, Wille said Qiskit helped build an open-source community, while newer or alternative infrastructure such as MLIR and QIR reflects different design choices. He did not argue that one framework should replace all others. Instead, he said a useful ecosystem needs both broad platforms and software tailored to particular hardware modalities, with enough compatibility to prevent tools from becoming isolated.
Wille also rejected the idea that quantum computing’s value rests only on Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms. He said he sees potential across a broader range of applications, although he did not identify specific workloads or demonstrate that they can currently deliver practical gains. His remarks describe a direction for research and software development, not proof that those applications are ready for widespread use.
“You definitely need software to connect the end users to the hardware and to make these applications work.”
— Robert Wille, in an interview with The Quantum Insider
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Practical Gains Remain Unspecified
The interview does not identify a confirmed timetable for broad commercial quantum applications, or name specific workloads where quantum systems have demonstrated an advantage in production. Wille described applications as something the field is working toward and offered a broad view of future potential; those comments should not be read as evidence that the anticipated capabilities are already available.
The supplied report also does not specify the company’s name, its products, customers, funding or technical results. It gives no detail on how its design-automation methods work, how the proposed tools integrate with particular HPC systems, or which compatibility standards developers will adopt. The balance between shared platforms and hardware-specific software remains an open design question.
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Building Compatible Production Tools
Wille’s interview points to continued work on production-ready software, design automation and connections between quantum systems and conventional computing infrastructure. The practical test will be whether these efforts produce tools that support real workloads across different devices while remaining usable in larger computing environments.
No product release, customer deployment, benchmark or next milestone was announced in the supplied interview material. Readers should look for independently documented application results, details of the company’s software and evidence that tools can work across hardware platforms. Until those details emerge, Wille’s comments are best understood as a roadmap for the challenges he believes the field must address.
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Key Questions
What did Robert Wille say quantum software needs?
Wille argued that the field needs design automation and practical software that connects users and applications to quantum hardware, alongside new algorithms.
Is quantum computing ready for broad practical use?
Wille described the field as moving from basic research toward applied research, but said it is not yet fully able to exploit quantum computing. The interview did not establish a schedule for widespread applications.
Did Wille say Qiskit will be replaced?
No. He credited Qiskit with supporting an open-source community and said development may continue across several approaches, including MLIR and QIR. His stated goal was compatibility among different paths, not a single replacement.
Why does quantum software need to support different hardware?
Quantum machines use different modalities, including superconducting, neutral-atom and ion-trap systems. Wille said software should accommodate these differences while giving users easy access without requiring them to manage the hardware details.
Was a new product or deployment announced?
No specific product launch, customer deployment or performance result was reported in the supplied interview. Wille discussed his company’s aim of turning academic work into production-ready software, but the report did not detail a particular release.
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