Alibaba Shuts Quantum Computing Lab in Sign of Broader Cutback

(Bloomberg) — Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has shuttered its quantum computing research lab, a sign that the Chinese e-commerce and cloud operator is considering more cutbacks to bulk up the bottom line.

Alibaba will donate its equipment to Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, where the company is based, a company spokesperson said Monday.

China’s e-commerce leader is in the middle of an overhaul spearheaded by Joseph Tsai and Eddie Wu, two confidantes of co-founder Jack Ma who took over the company in September. This month, the pair announced they were killing the much-anticipated spinoff and listing of the cloud services division, an about-face that spurred speculation about other changes to Alibaba’s long-term roadmap.