Partnership moves to Stage 2 of Australia’s Critical Technologies Challenge Program following an average 20% improvement in forecasting accuracy with SQC’s Watermelon™ system
SYDNEY, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) and Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, have progressed to Stage 2 of the Australian Government’s Critical Technologies Challenge Program (CTCP), receiving A$3.6 million (US$2.5m) in funding to continue their work in partnership with UNSW Sydney.
Energy grids are under increasing pressure and urgent solutions are required. As rooftop solar, home batteries and electric vehicles become widespread, household energy systems have become more dynamic and difficult to predict. Schneider Electric uses advanced forecasting and optimisation technologies to help balance distributed energy resources, including forecasting when to switch back and forth to solar energy deployment.
During Stage 1, the joint team explored whether SQC’s atomically engineered, quantum-enhanced AI chip, Watermelon, could improve the accuracy of Schneider Electric’s forecasting models. Watermelon generates quantum features that, when used alongside classical features, deliver richer models with greater predictive abilities.
For companies like Schneider Electric, more accurate forecasting can improve the management of distributed energy resources, increase renewable energy utilisation and contribute to lower energy costs for consumers. Even modest improvements in forecasting accuracy can deliver these benefits, and Stage 1 results delivered well beyond that threshold.
By applying Watermelon to next-day forecasting data over a 12-month period, SQC and Schneider Electric achieved an average 20% improvement in forecasting accuracy against the classical benchmark, with gains up to 41%.
Building on these results, Stage 2 funding will expand modelling to hundreds of homes across Australia, with direct integration into Schneider Electric’s AI workflows. This work provides a clear pathway for today’s quantum computing systems to be used in production environments.
Michelle Simmons, Founder and CEO of Silicon Quantum Computing, said: “We have always believed that quantum processors would work alongside CPUs and GPUs to deliver real-world performance gains. The results we have achieved with Schneider Electric demonstrate how quantum-enhanced AI can address practical challenges across the energy sector and time-series datasets more broadly. We’re grateful to the Australian Government for continuing to back this important work.”
Colette Munro, Pacific Zone President at Schneider Electric, added: “The energy system is becoming more dynamic with variables like rooftop solar, EVs, and home batteries creating new levels of complexity. Together with SQC, we’ve demonstrated how advanced energy technology has the potential to better manage this complexity, lowering costs for consumers and using energy more efficiently across the system.”
Launched in 2025, Watermelon is deployed with customers across telecommunications, banking, high-frequency trading and more. The system is available via cloud and hardware sale, including turnkey data center deployment.
About Silicon Quantum Computing
Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) is at the forefront of global efforts to deliver a commercial-scale quantum system. Backed by 25 years of technological leadership, SQC holds a singular advantage: exclusive capability to manufacture silicon chips with atomic precision, enabling quantum computing systems with world-leading algorithmic fidelity. With in-house QPU manufacturing, SQC iterates new chips weekly while delivering quantum-enhanced AI and materials simulation systems to customers today. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
For more information, visit www.sqc.com or follow SQC on LinkedIn.
About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory.
With 160,000 employees and one million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.
For more information, visit www.se.com.
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SOURCE Silicon Quantum Computing
