Korea's SDT Inc. Joins Open Quantum Design as a Member

Leading Korean full-stack quantum manufacturer backs Canada's open-source trapped-ion stack, linking two sovereign quantum ecosystems through open, interoperable standards

WATERLOO, ON, Aug. 13, 2026 /CNW/ -- Open Quantum Design (OQD), the Canadian non-profit building the world's first fully open-source, full-stack trapped-ion quantum computer, today announced that SDT Inc., a leading Korean quantum design-and-manufacturing (QDM) company, has joined OQD as a member. In a parallel agreement, SDT joins the Preferred Vendor Program of LightFlow, the cloud-based CAD-to-machining platform for free-space optical systems. 

The agreements connect two deliberately complementary national ecosystems. SDT is among the most established commercial quantum manufacturers in Asia. OQD develops its trapped-ion hardware and software entirely in the open, under an Apache 2.0 licence, so that any nation, institution, or company can build on it.

"When a manufacturer of SDT's calibre chooses to build with an open stack, it tells you open isn't a compromise -- it's the advantage," said Greg Dick, Co-Founder and CEO of Open Quantum Design."

"Scaling a quantum computer isn't about one more breakthrough experiment; it is a systems engineering problem, solved at the level of ion traps, optical integration, control electronics, and manufacturing, all at once. That's exactly where SDT has built its QDM capability," said Jiwon Yune, founder and CEO of SDT Inc.

Read the full story here.

About Open Quantum Design (OQD) 
Open Quantum Design is a Waterloo, Canada-based non-profit building the world's first fully open-source, full-stack trapped-ion quantum computer under an Apache 2.0 licence. Founded in 2024, OQD develops hardware, control systems, and software in the open to make quantum computing accessible worldwide.

About LightFlow 
LightFlow is a cloud-based CAD-to-machining platform for free-space optical systems, taking designers from optical-system design to precision-machined hardware in a single workflow.

About SDT Inc. 
SDT Inc. is a Korean quantum technology company specializing in full-stack Quantum Design and Manufacturing (QDM). Headquartered in Seoul, SDT develops cryogenic systems, quantum control electronics, and integrated quantum computing platforms, and operates QuREKA, a hybrid quantum cloud platform integrating CPU, GPU, and QPU resources.

SOURCE Open Quantum Design

Media contacts: OQD: Greg Dick, CEO, [email protected]; SDT Inc.: Dana Cho, Head of Marketing, [email protected]