Hiroshi Nakata serves as Chief Operating Officer and Director of JIJ Inc., a leading quantum and optimisation middleware startup. He also serves as Board Director of the Quantum Strategy Industry Innovation Alliance (Q-STAR), Japan’s national public–private consortium advancing quantum technology and industrial policy.At Jij, he leads global operations spanning strategy, partnerships, finance, and organizational development, and has been instrumental in expanding the company’s international collaborations, including leading the UK hub and supporting the setup and operations for the Germany hub as part of its European presence.He is a member of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), UKQuantum.Before joining Jij, he worked at Mitsui & Co., where he managed investment and M&A projects in renewable energy and gas infrastructure across Latin America and Australia.