The race to shape the future of computing is heating up among tech companies, with Microsoft saying on Wednesday it has made a major breakthrough in quantum computing, potentially paving the way for the technology to address complex scientific and societal challenges.

Majorana 1 relies on ‘topological superconductivity,’ a never-before-seen theoretical form of matter.

Microsoft on Wednesday announced Majorana 1, its first quantum computing chip. The achievement comes after the company has spent nearly two decades of research in the field.