The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) in Spain will host the installation of Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two, according to a plan announced by IBM and the Basque Government. A utility-scale 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron processor will power the IBM Quantum System Two. It is anticipated that the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre will have IBM Quantum System Two installed by the end of 2025.
The goal of the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) is to promote physics, information science, and materials science research and solutions by utilising IBM’s most efficient architecture.
The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) on the main campus of the Iker Basque Foundation in San Sebastian, Spain (Gipuzkoa, Spain) will host the installation of Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two, according to plans revealed today by the Basque Government and IBM.
The deployment strengthens the collaboration between the organizations, which started in 2023 as part of the BasQ strategy to further position the Basque Country as a major hub for technology. The parties have since decided to modify the original proposal, which called for installing an IBM Quantum System One, to install IBM’s most sophisticated modular quantum computer, the IBM Quantum System Two, which should be finished by the end of 2025.
The IBM Quantum Heron, the company’s most potent quantum processor to date, will power BasQ’s IBM Quantum System Two, which will be overseen by IBM and designed to grow to several processors in the future. Beyond the capabilities of brute-force, conventional simulation techniques, IBM Heron can execute utility-scale algorithms. For example, it can use Qiskit software to precisely simulate specific classes of quantum circuits with up to 5,000 two-qubit gate operations.
The first IBM Quantum System Two in Europe will be installed at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) by the end of 2025, according to plans announced by the Basque Government IBM and the Basque Foundation for Science in Spain Tom J. Watson Research Centre in Yorktown Heights, New York.
IBM’s ongoing endeavour to broaden Europe’s quantum ecosystem is exemplified by this installation honouring Spain’s quantum innovators in academia, research facilities, and industry.
These resources and capabilities will be available to members of the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) to support economic development, create new, practical algorithms, and help realise the Basque Country Government’s IKUR 2030 vision for quantum technologies. The creation of these algorithms would directly contribute to the achievement of IKUR 2030 objectives, including the study of new material modelling and the application of quantum computing to the initiative’s larger sustainability initiatives.
“The Basque Country will be positioned as a global reference hub in quantum computing with this scientific infrastructure. In addition to advancing the digital transition, this technology will give us access to cutting-edge scientific infrastructure that will fortify the ecosystem of innovation, science, and technology that must support this shift.
The Basque Network for Science, Technology, and Innovation will use the IBM Quantum System Two as a vital tool to develop innovative knowledge in the Basque Country, to introduce highly specialised higher education programs at the universities there, and to get ready for the impact of quantum computing in the years to come on both the industry and the Basque public sector. The Basque Country Government’s president, Mr. Imanol Pradales, stated, “The arrival of this computer will be a great opportunity for the economic and social development of the Basque Country and will enable us to cooperate with other regions, countries, and actors in the development and impact of this technology.”
Within two years, Spain’s quantum researchers, developers, and industry specialists will have unique access to the most advanced and performant quantum technology, including the ability to create algorithms that will propel the entire quantum ecosystem towards achieving a quantum advantage, to the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center’s dedicated IBM Quantum System Two.
About the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC)
In 2023, the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) was announced with the goal of advancing the use of cutting-edge technology throughout the Basque Country Government and the General Deputations (Araba, Bizkaia, and Gipuzkoa). This expansion of international research collaborations, the performance of top-notch fundamental scientific research, and the development of quantum-trained talent in the region will further elevate research institutions. To assist researchers in achieving these objectives, the centre will offer computing infrastructure to researchers from the Basque Government and its collaborators.
Additionally, IBM and the Basque Government are working together to create workforce initiatives that will help the Basque Country and Spain produce top-tier talent. Through the creation of immersive and integrated learning programs, the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Centre(EQCC) programs are promoting awareness, education, and skill development both internally and externally.
