OptQC Executives Speak at ASEAN Semiconductor Forum 2026
OptQC Corp. (Headquarters: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Kan Takase; hereinafter "OptQC"), a company engaged in the research and development of optical quantum computers, is pleased to announce that Director and CTO Warit Asavanant delivered a keynote address and Director and COO Noriaki Iwata participated in a panel discussion at the ASEAN Semiconductor Forum 2026, held in Pattaya, Thailand, on Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25, 2026.
The forum was an international conference held under the theme "Building a Future-Ready ASEAN Semiconductor Ecosystem through Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration and Global Partnerships." Leaders from industry, academia, and government across the ASEAN region and leading semiconductor nations gathered for two days of presentations and discussions on building the next-generation semiconductor ecosystem and fostering technological collaboration.
The program included sessions on the direction of semiconductor policy within ASEAN and on regional cooperation that leverages each country's strengths, as well as a wide range of topics such as trends in emerging technologies including quantum and AI, and talent development through university–industry collaboration. Speakers included representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and national governments, along with industry and academic figures from Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, and elsewhere, making for a highly international forum for discussion.
OptQC has built a record of international engagement with the Kingdom of Thailand, including a commemorative speech at the signing ceremony of the Japan–Thailand Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in the Field of Space Industry in June 2026, and participation in a panel discussion commemorating the MOU signing between AIST's G-QuAT and Chulalongkorn University in July 2026. This latest appearance built on these bilateral ties and provided an opportunity to forge new connections with the ASEAN market in the semiconductor and quantum fields.
Keynote Address by Director and CTO Warit Asavanant
On the morning of the first day (September 24), following a keynote by H.E. Yodchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand, OptQC's Director and CTO Warit delivered a keynote titled "Quantum Technologies: The Next Frontier for Semiconductors and Photonics Technology Frontiers & Future Talent." After outlining the current state of the quantum industry, including optical quantum computing, he discussed the relationship between the semiconductor and quantum industries and offered recommendations on the technologies and talent needed to industrialize quantum computing.
In particular, he positioned the quantum industry as an evolution of the semiconductor industry and highlighted the importance of building the technological foundations and developing the talent required for the coming era of quantum computing.
Panel Discussion Featuring Director and COO Noriaki Iwata
In the afternoon of the same day, Director and COO Iwata took part in a panel discussion titled "Bridging Semiconductor Workforce Demand and Supply through Academic–Industry Collaboration."
As the panel explored the gap between the talent that industry needs and what university education provides across three domains (quantum and photonics, semiconductors, and PCB/PCBA), Iwata drew on his perspective in commercializing deep tech to emphasize the importance of people who can serve as a "bridge between science and business."
He further shared his views on the importance of universities adopting a mindset informed by industry needs, and on concrete initiatives to make industry–academia–government collaboration more effective.
"We are delighted that our CTO and COO had the opportunity to speak at an international conference as significant as the ASEAN Semiconductor Forum 2026. The vision for the future of quantum technology that Warit Asavanant presented and the talent development challenges that Noriaki Iwata raised are both themes we engage with every day as we grow our business. Bringing quantum technology into society takes more than technology alone; it also depends on nurturing the people and ecosystems that support it. Through this forum, I am confident that Japan and ASEAN can build on each other's strengths to shape the future of the quantum and semiconductor industries together."
Through this appearance, OptQC worked to raise its profile in the ASEAN region and communicated the importance of preparation and collaboration among industry, academia, and government for the quantum computing era expected to arrive in the near future. The discussions and networking at the forum have also laid important groundwork for OptQC's future business development in the ASEAN region.
OptQC will continue to accelerate business development toward the real-world deployment of quantum technology in Japan and overseas, and to contribute to the growth of the quantum ecosystem through collaboration with industry, academia, and government.
Name: ASEAN Semiconductor Forum 2026
Dates: Thursday, September 24 – Friday, September 25, 2026
Venue: Pattaya, Kingdom of Thailand
Organizer: Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), Thailand, and others
OptQC is a deep-tech startup building a next-generation computing platform based on optical quantum technology.
Drawing on more than 25 years of research at the Furusawa Laboratory of the University of Tokyo, the company advances research, development, and commercialization in parallel to accelerate the practical application of quantum technology in the global market.
Company Name: OptQC Corp.
Location: 15th Floor, IT tower TOKYO, 3-28-13 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021, Japan
Representative: Kan Takase, Representative Director and CEO
Established: September 2, 2024
Business Description: Research, development, and provision of optical quantum computers
URL: https://www.optqc.com/en/
OptQC Corp. Public Relations
E-mail: press@optqc.com
