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Quantinuum together with Mitsui advance unforgeable quantum tokens over fibre network in first ever trial

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First successful delivery of quantum tokens using commercial QKD hardware, demonstrating fast transaction verification at the point of exchange – a crucial step toward quantum-enhanced financial security and a major advance for QKD.Quantum tokens are designed to provide unforgeability, privacy, and fast settlement, in a single financial instrument. No previous technology can deliver these three combined benefits.In the world’s first implementation using off-the-shelf hardware, quantum tokens were transmitted across 10km of fibre in Tokyo, using commercial quantum key distribution (QKD) devices provided by NEC*.This is a pivotal step towards the deployment of ultra-high-security quantum tokens in use cases such as tokenized asset security and high-speed trading.

TOKYO and BROOMFIELD, Colo., Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In a long anticipated trial, Quantinuum (“Quantinuum”, Head Office: Broomfield, Colorado, U.S.A., CEO: Rajeeb Hazra), together with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui”, Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Kenichi Hori) and NEC (“NEC”, Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Takayuki Morita) today announced the successful delivery of quantum tokens across a 10km fibre-optic network in Japan. This is the first time such a delivery has been accomplished.

Quantum tokens are a new financial instrument that take advantage of the properties of quantum physics to meet the robust demands of asset trading without the communication overheads required by traditional financial systems. Quantum tokens are transmitted across fibre-optic quantum key distribution (QKD) networks, which are rapidly expanding around the globe. Today’s announcement with Mitsui demonstrates growing industry recognition of quantum tokens’ potential in financial services.

Ilyas Khan, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Quantinuum, said: “The original motivation for quantum communications was the exchange of money, as envisaged by Stephen Wiesner. Today, we have demonstrated real-world security enhancements for financial systems using off-the-shelf quantum communications hardware. This opens the door to a new era in quantum-enhanced security with wide applicability, providing commercial organisations with something concrete to utilise.”

Koji Naniwada, Deputy General Manager, Quantum Innovation Dept. at Mitsui, said: “Quantum tokens will increase the security of digital assets, while improving transaction performance and maintaining privacy. These topics are critical for our customers and partners in the financial sector and this demonstration is a valuable outcome of our partnership with Quantinuum.”

Naoki Ishida, Director with the Trading and Service Solution Department at NEC, said: “We are the first to provide a platform for realizing a quantum token system using NEC’s quantum key distribution (QKD) devices. Based on the results of this trial between Mitsui & Co. and Quantinuum, we will continue to work towards the social implementation of quantum cryptography technology.”

Quantum tokens are designed to use quantum physics to prevent forgery, while ensuring transactions can be settled near-instantly, whereas traditional payments systems rely on double-entry bookkeeping to prevent double-spending of funds. This adds time, overhead and risk to every transaction, as digital systems are consulted to confirm funds are available and to settle transactions.

Quantum tokens instead rely on the no-cloning theorem of quantum physics to prevent forgeries and double-spending. Only the intended recipient will receive the correct token data, which can only be spent at one location in the future. This enables near-instant transaction settlement by removing the need to check multiple systems or wait for network confirmations.

As demonstrated in Quantinuum’s recent work with HSBC, securing digital assets in the quantum-age is growing in urgency. The financial sector is increasingly looking to quantum technology to solve these complex problems with the power of nature.

Note:

(*) The equipment provided by NEC was partially supported by results from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ (MIC)  “Research and development for construction of a global quantum cryptography network”(JPJ008957) under “R&D of ICT Priority Technology Project” (JPMI00316) and Japan’s Cabinet Office’s “Photonics and Quantum Technology for Society 5.0” project under the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP).

About Mitsui

Mitsui & Co. is a global trading and investment company with a presence in more than 60 countries and a diverse business portfolio covering a wide range of industries.

The company identifies, develops, and grows its businesses in partnership with a global network of trusted partners including world leading companies, combining its geographic and cross-industry strengths to create long-term sustainable value for its stakeholders.

Mitsui has set three key strategic initiatives for its current Medium-term Management Plan: supporting industries to grow and evolve with stable supplies of resources and materials, and providing infrastructure; promoting a global transition to low-carbon and renewable energy; and empowering people to lead healthy lives through the delivery of quality healthcare and access to good nutrition.

Visit https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/index.html for more information.

About Quantinuum

Quantinuum, the world’s largest integrated quantum company, pioneers powerful quantum computers and advanced software solutions. Quantinuum’s technology drives breakthroughs in materials discovery, cybersecurity, and next-gen quantum AI. With over 500 employees, including 370+ scientists and engineers, Quantinuum leads the quantum computing revolution across continents.  http://www.quantinuum.com/

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com. 

SOURCE Quantinuum

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Agoda and OpenAI Bring AI Learning to Life at Agoda’s 12th Tech Camp Day in Thailand

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BANGKOK, Nov. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform Agoda hosted the 12th edition of Agoda Tech Camp Day on 5–6 November, welcoming over 420 students from four Thai universities. The latest edition, in collaboration with OpenAI, brings the program’s cumulative reach to over 4,100 students since 2023.

Delivered in collaboration with OpenAI, the program introduced university students to foundational AI concepts and practical ways to use ChatGPT in their academic and future professional lives, drawing on real-world examples from Agoda.

Agoda’s AI Developer Report 2026 found that junior developers were nearly three times as likely as senior developers to cite a lack of skills as a barrier to wider AI agent adoption (17% versus 6%). The finding underscores the value of giving students early, hands-on opportunities to work with AI and build the skills to apply it thoughtfully as software development evolves.

Throughout the Tech Camp Day workshops, students explored ChatGPT’s agentic capabilities, comparing conversational interactions in Chat mode with tool-enabled workflows in Work mode. They used personal instructions, tools, and skills to guide an agent through multi-step tasks, transforming spreadsheet data into a presentation and an interactive web app. Students also built and published their own applications and learned to package workflow instructions into reusable skills, enabling an agent to repeat the same set of steps from a single prompt.

As part of the collaboration, participating students will receive two months of ChatGPT Plus access, giving them an extended period after the event to practice with ChatGPT, apply AI to their studies and career preparation, and build on the skills introduced at the workshop.

“AI becomes useful when people understand what it can do, where its limitations are, and how to apply it to a problem they want to solve,” said Idan Zalzberg, Chief Technology Officer at Agoda. “Tech Camp Day lets us share Agoda’s practical experience with future tech talent in Thailand and across the region. Working with OpenAI connects that experience with expertise in building AI, helping students use it responsibly and giving educators and policymakers practical insights to build on.”

“Thailand’s students are already curious about what AI can do. Access to AI is just the beginning. We also want to help them build the confidence and skills to use it well, to ask better questions, explore ideas and build things they might not have been able to build before,” said Sandy Kunvatanagarn, OpenAI’s Head of Policy for ASEAN. “That means learning to use the tools available to them, while questioning the output, checking sources and applying their own judgment. Through our work with Agoda, we hope students can carry these skills into their studies and future careers.”

The appetite for AI is already visible in Thailand, which ranks among the top 20 countries for weekly active ChatGPT users. According to OpenAI’s internal data, the three most common uses of ChatGPT among 18- to 24-year-olds in Thailand are creative media, writing and communication, and education and learning, reflecting how young people are using AI to create, communicate and learn.

The program brought together first- to fourth-year students from Sripatum University, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, and Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.

Dr. Preesan Rakwatin, Acting Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operational Officer, Digital Transformation Unit, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) also attended the event’s opening ceremony, broadening government support for the program alongside the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

“Building AI skills is essential to preparing Thailand’s young people for the changing world of work and strengthening our digital economy,” commented Dr. Preesan. “This initiative by Agoda and OpenAI brings together practical applications and AI expertise, giving students opportunities to develop skills relevant to their future careers, supporting our ambition to broaden access to AI learning and help people use the technology responsibly and productively.”

As Thailand advances AI adoption and its digital economy, practical AI skills can help drive productivity, growth and new jobs. Through Tech Camp Day, Agoda and OpenAI support these ambitions while developing the next generation of Thai technology talent. The initiative also builds on Agoda’s ties to Thailand, a key technology hub where its teams develop solutions used by travelers worldwide, by sharing that expertise with local universities.

Since its launch, Agoda Tech Camp Day, Agoda’s technology-focused social impact initiative, has offered high school and university students hands-on learning in emerging technology fields, including AI applications, UX/UI design and web development. Through workshops developed and led by Agoda engineers, the program connects technical learning with real-world applications, helping students build practical skills and explore further study and career opportunities in technology.

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From Cars to Homes: OMODA & JAECOO Ecosystem Partner AiMOGA Robotics Unveils Its First Home Companion Robot

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WUHU, China, Nov. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Automotive competition in intelligent technology is moving fast beyond the cabin. Perception, decision-making and control capabilities honed in cars are now finding their way into homes and city services.

On October 21, during the OMODA & JAECOO International User Summit, AiMOGA Robotics, an embodied AI ecosystem partner, held its global launch in Wuhu and opened pre-orders for Mobo, its first home companion robot—marking its entry from commercial services into the consumer home market. It also displayed its full robot portfolio for business and household use. Supported by OMODA & JAECOO’s intelligent technology and global channels, AiMOGA Robotics applies embodied AI across multiple scenarios.

Expanding into the Consumer Market: Mobo Combines Advanced Technology with Warm Companionship. Powered by the MoAgent agent, Mobo integrates home spatial awareness, natural interaction, full-body motion control, long-term memory and an edge-cloud architecture, enabling it to break down long-horizon tasks while adapting to complex home environments. It covers three core scenarios: elderly care and companionship, children’s companionship, and whole-family care. With 22 degrees of freedom, it recognises family members, remembers their preferences and provides end-to-end data privacy protection. At launch, 35 early adopters became Mobo’s inaugural Global Angel User Experience Ambassadors. Since debuting at the World Robot Conference in August, Mobo has drawn interest from over 10,000 prospective users worldwide, with plans to refine its interactions, features and services based on family habits across markets.

On the market side, AiMOGA Robotics announced an initial network of 300 experience centres worldwide, supporting partners across solutions, digital marketing, financial and insurance services, and after-sales—building a global channel connecting experience, sales and service. It also plans a global robotics rental brand serving healthcare, transportation, education, security, culture and tourism.

Alongside Mobo, the company showcased its broader portfolio: Mornine for high-end business reception, the Intelligent Security Robot R001 for public safety patrols, the Robotic Nurse RN001 for patient guidance, and the Argos quadruped for specialised inspection and outdoor operations. Cumulative commercial deliveries have passed 3,000 units across more than 60 countries and regions, with field data feeding back into continuous iteration.

Extending Automotive Engineering Capabilities. Autonomous driving and embodied AI share common logic in environmental perception algorithms, motion control models, hardware mass production and supply chain quality control. Drawing on an established automotive R&D and manufacturing system, AiMOGA Robotics reuses automotive supply-chain resources and R&D technologies, bringing automotive-grade quality control and affordability to its robots—lowering the costs of trial and error and scaled production versus start-ups. As embodied AI enters the window between prototype demonstrations and large-scale deployment, this portfolio and global expansion will further enrich OMODA & JAECOO’s intelligent ecosystem, extending intelligence from vehicles into more areas of everyday life.

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SOURCE OMODA | JAECOO

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ASTRI Establishes Advisory Board for Smart Mobility Technology Alliance

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Bringing Together Industry, Academia and Research to Drive Mobility Innovation

HONG KONG, Nov. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) announced the establishment of an Advisory Board for the Smart Mobility Technology Alliance (SMTA), an industry-leading initiative designed to accelerate the adoption and scaling of next-generation smart mobility technologies across the Greater Bay Area and beyond. The SMTA aims to address critical challenges and foster a commercially-driven ecosystem for innovation in the smart mobility sector.

The newly-formed Advisory Board comprises distinguished leaders from infrastructure, transport, telecommunications, and academia, offering a wide-ranging blend of industry expertise, market intelligence and policy insight. Drawing on their extensive network and experience across the public and private sectors, the Advisory Board will shape the SMTA’s strategic priorities, identify emerging opportunities, and provide guidance on the evolving mobility landscape.

“The formation of the SMTA Advisory Board underscores ASTRI’s commitment to advancing Hong Kong as a regional leader in technology-driven mobility,” said Ir Dr Ted Suen, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI. “By uniting industry, government, academia and research around a shared vision, this strategic alliance will unlock commercial opportunities and deliver transformative solutions that redefine the future of mobility,” he added.

The Advisory Board provides strategic guidance on SMTA’s vision and research and development priorities, helping to align its initiatives with market needs and commercialisation opportunities. It supports ecosystem development by fostering partnerships across industry, academia and the public sector, while facilitating pilot projects and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. The Board also offers insights on policy and standards, and promotes engagement with key stakeholders and international partners to advance future mobility innovation.

Members of the Advisory Board for Smart Mobility Technology Alliance include:

Chairman

Dr Ying Huang, Chief Technology Officer, ASTRI

Deputy Chairman

Mr Dominic Chow, Deputy Director-General of Civil Aviation, HKSAR Government

Secretary

Dr Ivan Sham, Chief Director, Technical Solutions Business Development, ASTRI

Members (by alphabetical order in surname)

Mr Lawrence Fong, Director, Digital and IT, Cathay Pacific Airways LimitedMr William Ho, Executive Director, Corporate Development, Airport Authority Hong KongIr Dr John Hui, Deputy Executive Director, Vocational Training CouncilMr Ryan Ip, Vice President of Our Hong Kong FoundationProf Mei-po Kwan, Director, Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong KongDr Gabriel Leung, Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Solutions, Hong Kong Broadband Network LimitedMr Roger Ma, General Manager (Operations), Citybus LimitedMr Steve Ng, Managing Director, Commercial Group, HKT LimitedMs Sylvia Ng, Deputy Director, Corporate Development, MTR Corporation LimitedMr BY Sim, General Manager (Hong Kong SAR), Thales Solutions and Services Hong Kong LimitedMr Alex Wong, Deputy CEO, Corporate Affairs, Hong Kong Representative Office, Huawei International Co LimitedDr Rosana Wong, Deputy Chair and Executive Director, Yau Lee Holdings LimitedMs Yan Yan, General Manager, Keeta Drone Hong KongMs Theresa Yeung, Managing Principal, East Asia, Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited

Launched by ASTRI in April 2023, the Smart Mobility Technology Alliance (formerly the Smart Mobility Technology (C-V2X) Alliance) provides a networking and knowledge sharing platform for ecosystem stakeholders. These include infrastructure manufacturers, telecommunications providers, EV and drone developers, system integrators, and end users from China, in particular the Greater Bay Area, and overseas markets, all seeking to explore collaboration and technology commercialisation in the smart mobility field.

SMTA Website: https://smta.astri.org/

Photos Download: https://bit.ly/4s0M9ex

 

About ASTRI

Founded in 2000 by the HKSAR Government, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is the city’s largest government-funded R&D centre. Committed to transforming high-impact research into practical innovations, ASTRI drives market-driven, interdisciplinary advancements across sectors, including Smart City, FinTech, Digital Health and Life Sciences, New Industrialisation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) and Advanced Electronics, New Energy and Energy Storage, and Green and ESG Technologies. Following its merger with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute, ASTRI has further strengthened its capabilities, with over 1,500 patents and 2,200 successful cases of technology transfer. Recognised with numerous international awards, ASTRI continues to nurture top I&T talent and foster collaborations among the I&T ecosystem, contributing to Hong Kong’s high-value economic development. For more information, please visit: https://www.astri.org

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SOURCE Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI)

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