AI & Enterprise

South Korea launches \'4 hubs, 3 special regions\' autonomous R&D plan, to invest 78.9 billion won in 7 zones

South Korea will shift its regional research and development system from a central government and province-led model to a zone-based, locally autonomous approach. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it launched the \'4 hubs, 3 special regions\' programme at KAIST on Wednesday and will push projects in seven zones. It will invest a total of 78.9 billion won this year and expand support after 2027.

Crypto

IonQ unveils sixth-generation quantum computer, targets customer deliveries in 2027 amid bitcoin security debate

IonQ unveiled its sixth-generation quantum computer, the 256-qubit Superion 256, and began taking orders, with customer deliveries planned for 2027. The company said the focus is a shift in manufacturing, integrating electronic control functions into the chip to lower costs and enable larger-scale production. IonQ said its SkyWater unit completed the first 256-qubit processor, though performance results have not been disclosed. The announcement comes amid debate over quantum computing’s potential impact on bitcoin security.