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IBM announced the completed installation of a 127-qubit quantum computing system at the University of Tokyo on Nov. 27. According to the company, this marks the arrival of the first utility-scale quantum system in the region.

The system, dubbed a Quantum System One by IBM and featuring the companys Eagle processor, was installed as part of an ongoing research partnership between Japan and IBM. According to a blog post from IBM, it will be used to conduct research in various fields, including bioinformatics, materials science and finance.

Per Hiroaki Aihara, executive vice president of the University of Tokyo:

While Japan and the University of Tokyo reap the benefits of working with a U.S. quantum computing partner, Chinas second-largest technology firm, Alibaba, has decided to shutter its own quantum computing laboratory and will reportedly donate its equipment to Zhejiang University.

Local media reports indicate the Alibaba move is a cost-cutting measure and that dozens of employees associated with the quantum research lab have been laid off. This follows the cancellation of a planned cloud computing spinoff earlier this month, with Alibaba stating that thepartial United States export ban on computer chips to China has contributed to uncertainty.

Related: US official confirms military concerns over Chinas access to cloud technology

The quantum computing sector is expected to grow by more than $5.5 billion between 2023 and 2030, according to estimates from Fortune Business Insights. This has led some experts to worry over the state of quantum computing research in areas outside of the U.S. and China.

Koen Bertels, founder of quantum computing accelerator QBee and a professor at the University of Ghent in Belgium, recently opined that Europe had already lost the artificial intelligence race and couldnt afford to lose at quantum computing.

In addition to being behind in funding, talent, and strategy, wrote Bertels, Europe isnt only competing against the US.

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IBM brings 'utility-scale' quantum computing to Japan as China and Europe struggle to compete - Cointelegraph