Insider Brief
- IonQ has expanded its partnership with QuantumBasel, transferring ownership of an existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and securing a next-generation IonQ Tempo system under a deal valued at over $60 million.
- The agreement extends IonQ’s on-site presence at QuantumBasel through 2029, reinforcing its role as IonQ’s European Innovation Center for industry, academia, and research access.
- The partners will broaden collaborative research, including work on hybrid quantum–classical methods and AI model optimization, while expanding IonQ’s technical footprint in Switzerland.
PRESS RELEASE — IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum company, today announced an expanded agreement with QuantumBasel, the quantum initiative of uptownBasel, Switzerland’s innovation campus. The extended contract grants QuantumBasel ownership of its existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and secures ownership of a next-generation Tempo system.
This new agreement brings the total deal value of the QuantumBasel and IonQ partnership to over $60 million and extends IonQ’s on-site presence in Switzerland four more years, continuing through 2029. QuantumBasel is IonQ’s official Innovation Center in Europe, serving as a hub for European industry, academia, and research institutions to explore practical quantum computing applications and access IonQ’s latest enterprise-grade systems.
“Our extended partnership with QuantumBasel represents a cornerstone of IonQ’s global strategy,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. “QuantumBasel continues to be a critical innovation node for our company as we expand quantum adoption. We’re growing a quantum-ready ecosystem in Europe that is capable of driving progress in material science, defense, AI, life sciences, logistics, and beyond.”
QuantumBasel and IonQ are also expanding their collaborative research efforts, with new workstreams focused on optimizing large language models (LLMs) and developing hybrid quantum-classical techniques for advanced computing use cases. These efforts aim to unlock near-term commercial value from quantum technologies by enhancing AI model performance and exploring novel algorithmic frameworks.
“We are excited about our partnership with IonQ to jointly explore the possibilities Quantum Computing offers today and in the future. The on-site system also serves as a catalyst for a vibrant community at uptownBasel.“ said Thomas Landolt, CEO of QuantumBasel.
IonQ will expand its footprint and expand its technical and research personnel, supporting both system development and collaborative research. The agreement further strengthens the role of QuantumBasel as a destination for next-generation technology, offering direct access to IonQ systems for enterprises, universities, startups, and research institutes throughout Europe.
Building on IonQ Forte Enterprise, QuantumBasel’s next system will be IonQ Tempo, part of IonQ’s roadmap to deliver higher-performing, fault-tolerant quantum computers. These systems are expected to support deeper quantum circuits and higher-fidelity operations, advancing the use of quantum across critical sectors including finance, materials, drug discovery, and supply chain optimization. This quantum computing partnership is expected to span four generations of IonQ’s systems.
Today’s announcement expands on IonQ’s growing EU footprint and commitment to accelerating quantum technologies globally including its recent agreement with CCRM Nordic. IonQ announced the completion of the First European Innovation Center at the uptownBasel campus in December 2024, and has since established further partnerships across the EU including Einride in Sweden, the acquisitions of Oxford Ionics in the UK and ID Quantique in Switzerland, and the establishment of IonQ Italia led by Marco Pistoia.
