The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis
The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis
Authors: Grahame Vittorini (Quantinuum), Silvina Caino-Lores (Inria), Rosa Badia (Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC)), Shantenu Jha (Rutgers University), Oliver Thomson Brown (Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC)), Tom Beck (Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)), Elica Kyoseva (NVIDIA Corporation), Mitsuhisa Sato (RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), Juntendo University)
Abstract: Quantum-classical hybrid computing is moving from theory to reality, yet no clear roadmap exists for how best to integrate quantum processing units (QPUs) into established HPC environments. In this BoF, we hope to bring together a global community of HPC practitioners, system architects, quantum computing specialists, and workflow researchers, including participants in the Workflow Community Initiative, to assess the state of hybrid integration and identify practical steps toward scalable, impactful deployment.
This BoF will be highly interactive, drawing on the experience and expertise of all participants via a series of parallel breakout sessions focused on four anchor topics:
• Hybrid Applications, Workflows and Use-Cases
• Middleware for Dataflow and Workflow Orchestration
• Software Integration and Performance Engineering
• State of the Industry: Practice and People
Co-led by a diverse and global organizing team representing BCS, DOE, EPCC, Inria, ORNL, NVIDIA, Quantinuum, and RIKEN, our goals are to:
• Share early experiences from hybrid HPC+QC deployments
• Identify best practices across software, hardware, and workflow integration
• Accelerate knowledge-sharing to ensure the community progresses efficiently
• Encourage collaboration and convergence around architectural, workflow and programming models
• Provide a space for peer-to-peer discussion, discovery, and problem-solving across institutions and disciplines
Format:
1) 20-minute introduction to the BoF and the four anchor topics
2) 45-minute breakout group discussions
3) 25-minute regroup to share challenges, learnings and open questions to the full group with time for final thoughts and contributions and commitments for ongoing collaboration and further engagement at future industry gatherings
Long Description: Quantum-classical hybrid computing is moving from theory to reality, yet no clear roadmap exists for how best to integrate quantum processing units (QPUs) into established HPC environments. In this BoF, we hope to bring together a global community of HPC practitioners, system architects, and quantum computing specialists to assess the state of hybrid integration and identify practical steps toward scalable, impactful deployment.
The session will focus on the early lessons emerging from real-world hybrid implementations, spanning hardware integration, workflow orchestration, programming models, and application use-cases. Participants will explore key technical challenges — such as data locality, system scheduling, and middleware gaps — through open discussion and guided breakout sessions. The emphasis is on sharing best practices, highlighting where efforts can be aligned, and identifying obstacles that can be addressed collaboratively across the community.
Goals
• Share early experiences from hybrid HPC+QC deployments
• Identify best practices across software, hardware, and workflow integration
• Accelerate knowledge-sharing to ensure the community progresses efficiently
• Encourage collaboration and convergence around architectural and programming models
• Provide a space for peer-to-peer discussion, discovery, and problem-solving across institutions and disciplines
Breakout discussions will focus on the following key areas:
• Hybrid Applications and Use-cases: Identifying workloads (e.g., optimization, simulation) most suited for hybrid execution
• Software Integration and Scaling: Exploring programming model trade-offs, orchestration layers, and code lifecycle (e.g., transpilation timing, hybrid compilers)
• Middleware and Workflow Orchestration: Assessing available tooling for hybrid job scheduling and end-to-end execution
• Benchmarking Hybrid Systems: Developing meaningful metrics for hybrid performance
• Data Movement and Locality: Understanding interconnects and data transfer
• Hardware deployments: Lessons learned so far
• Workforce Development: Addressing the classical-quantum skills gap
Why Is This Relevant to the HPC Community?
As QPUs become more available through cloud services and on-prem installations, HPC centers are increasingly being asked to support or evaluate hybrid quantum-classical workflows. This evolution presents both a technical challenge and a strategic opportunity for the HPC community to lead in defining how quantum resources are best integrated. By confronting questions around scalability, orchestration, performance benchmarking, and system design now, HPC institutions can shape the emerging hybrid landscape rather than adapt to it retroactively.
Has This BoF Been Held Before?
No — this BoF has not been held before. Our review of recent conferences, including SC24, revealed a gap in dedicated BoF sessions on this specific topic. This proposal responds directly to that gap. The BoF will be co-led by a diverse and global organizing team, with confirmed participation from EPCC and NVIDIA, and commitments from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a major HPC facility in Asia, pending individual’s names.
We Will Also Seek to Address These Specific Questions:
• What programming models or compilers are showing promise for hybrid workloads?
• How should hybrid workflows be structured for problems like optimization, materials science, or simulation?
• How do we balance near-term experimentation with long-term architectural planning?
• What lessons can be drawn from other accelerator integrations (e.g., GPUs, FPGAs) into HPC?