IBM is to deploy an on-premise quantum computer for the Basque Government in Spain.
The company this week announced plans to install Europe's first IBM Quantum System Two at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center on Ikerbasque Foundation's main campus in San Sebastian, in Spain’s Gipuzkoa region.
BasQ's IBM Quantum System Two, to be managed by IBM, will be powered by an IBM Quantum’s 156-qubit Heron QPU.
The parties originally planned to install an IBM Quantum System One, before updating the deal for a Quantum System Two instead. The system is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
"The IBM Quantum System Two will be a key tool for the Basque Network for Science, Technology, and Innovation to generate cutting-edge knowledge in the Basque Country, to implement highly specialized higher education programs at our universities, and to be prepared for the impact of quantum computing in the coming years by both the Basque public sector and the industry. The arrival of this computer will be a great opportunity for the Basque Country's economic and social development and will enable us to cooperate with other regions, countries, and actors in the development and impact of this technology," said the President of the Basque Country Government, Imanol Pradales.
IBM announced plans to supply Fundación Ikerbasque (the Basque Foundation for Science) with a quantum computer in March 2023. At the time, the company was set to deliver a Heron-powered System One to Ikerbasque’s main campus in San Sebastian by the end of 2024.
System Two is larger than the System One, comprising three supercooling fridges instead of one. The modular computer can also be networked together with more System Twos.
"The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center's dedicated IBM Quantum System Two will give Spain's quantum community of researchers, developers, and industry experts unparalleled access to our most performant, most advanced quantum technologies—including the tools to develop algorithms that will help drive the entire quantum ecosystem toward achieving a quantum advantage within the next two years," said Jay Gambetta, vice president, IBM Quantum.
Since its launch in 2019, IBM has shipped five on-premise quantum machines to customers, with recipients including South Korea’s Yonsei University, the University of Tokyo, and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
IBM has 13 utility-scale quantum computers (100+ qubits) operational in Poughkeepsie, NY; its German data center in Munich; and in client locations around the world. In total, the company claims to have deployed just shy of 80 quantum systems since 2016, more than the rest of the world combined, according to publicly available data cited by IBM. The company recently claimed total cumulative quantum bookings of more than $1bn.
