Insider Brief
- The Basque Government and IBM unveiled Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two—only the second outside the U.S.—at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center in San Sebastián, powered by a 156-qubit Heron processor as part of the BasQ initiative.
- Designed for scalability and utility-scale algorithms beyond classical brute-force simulation, the system is available to Center members to advance IKUR 2030 priorities in energy, biomedicine, materials, and AI.
- The deployment deepens a 2023 Basque-IBM partnership to build a Southern Europe quantum hub, attract talent, and spur economic development through research in areas including materials science and high-energy physics.
PRESS RELEASE- The Basque Government and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two in Europe at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center in San Sebastián. The installation of this system marks a milestone in the partnership between the two parties, which began in 2023 within the framework of the BasQ – Basque Quantum initiative, promoted by the Basque Government to help make Euskadi an international hub for quantum technologies.
The system installed on the Ikerbasque Foundation’s main campus, at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center, was inaugurated at a ceremony featuring remarks from the President of the Basque Country Government, Mr. Imanol Pradales; Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research; Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias, Minister of Science, Universities, and Innovation of the Basque Government; Eider Mendoza, Deputy General of Gipuzkoa; Eneko Goia, the Mayor of San Sebastián; and Horacio Morell, General Manager of IBM Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel. The opening ceremony was also attended by, among others, the First and Second Vice-Lehendakari, Ibone Bengoetxea and Mikel Torres; and the Deputies General of Álava and Bizkaia, Ramiro González and Elixabete Etxanobe; in addition to representation from academia, government, and industry.
This IBM Quantum System Two installation is only the second such deployment outside the US. It is powered by a 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron processor, one of the best performing quantum processors developed by the company, to date. Designed to be scalable and integrate multiple processors in the future, this system marks a technological milestone by enabling the execution of utility-scale algorithms, surpassing the capabilities of classical brute-force simulation.
“The Basque Government’s focus is on the areas that are strategic for our country. Our driving force is the Basque quantum strategy, which is taking a giant step forward today. The Basque quantum strategy will allow us to be a magnet for generating knowledge and attracting talent. It will allow us to connect with other knowledge and innovation hubs and ecosystems to gain competitiveness and development as a country. And it will also allow us to align ourselves with Europe’s resilience and reindustrialization strategy, leveraging investment in infrastructure and technologies essential for the transformations we must face as a continent and country,” said Basque President Imanol Pradales.
“The two-year collaboration with BasQ’s team of scientists has already led to important research results in materials science and high energy physics. Now, I’m looking forward to what our teams will accomplish as the region’s growing ecosystem taps into Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two, powered by our best IBM Quantum Heron quantum processor,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow.
For more about the research carried out by IBM, BasQ, and many other institutions across Europe, Ireland, and the US, which pushes the utility-scale capabilities of IBM Heron in the disciplines of high energy physics and materials science, read the blog.
Members of the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center now have access to the system, alongside other IBM resources to help build Southern Europe’s quantum ecosystem, promote economic development, and develop new, useful algorithms to help accomplish the Basque Country Government’s IKUR 2030 vision for quantum technologies. The specific efforts in algorithm development directly apply toward accomplishing the IKUR 2030 goals of developing applications in strategic sectors such as energy, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence. The Center also helps position the Basque Country for leadership in the field of quantum technologies, and reinforces the commitments of IBM and the Basque Government to lead scientific and technological development in this strategic field.
An infrastructure for knowledge and the industry of the future
The launch of an IBM Quantum System Two in the Basque Country not only symbolizes the advancement of the scientific community, but also opens up new opportunities for the technology’s application in strategic sectors. The new system’s capabilities will enable industry experts to explore solutions to complex challenges in areas such as the design of new materials, the optimization of industrial processes, biomedical simulation, and the improvement of artificial intelligence algorithms.
With this step, the Basque Country plays an important role in IBM’s global quantum computing network and reinforces the region’s ambition to be a leader in the rapid development of this emerging technology.
Image credit: IBM
