The Basque regional government in Spain and IBM have announced an expansion of the BasQ initiative, launched in 2023, to consolidate the region as a key technological hub, which will result in the installation of Quantum System Two supercomputer in San Sebastián. The US-based tech company will build its supercomputer at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational, located on the main campus of the scientific research Ikerbasque Foundation.
Initially, the installation of Quantum System One had been planned, but after an update to the agreement, it was decided to deploy IBM’s most advanced modular quantum system, whose installation is scheduled for the end of 2025. Moreover, System Two is larger than System One, comprising three supercooling fridges instead of one.
Quantum System Two will be the first to arrive in Europe and will be managed by IBM. It will feature the second generation of the Quantum Heron processor, the most powerful of the company to date, with a computational power of 156 qubits and reduced error rates.
Europe is striving to remain competitive in the supercomputer race. Recently, Denmark’s cutting-edge AI supercomputer Gefion secured a prominent position as the 7th fastest production storage system globally and ranked 4th in the 10-node benchmark on the IO500 list, which rates the world’s fastest storage systems annually.
Meanwhile, Lumi, Europe’s fastest supercomputer and the fifth fastest globally, also ranks twelfth among large-scale computers for ecological efficiency. However, Lumi is not alone in Europe’s supercomputing landscape; Italy’s Leonardo and Spain’s Mare Nostrum also stand out as powerful state-of-the-art computing centres.
Advanced supercomputer to reach “quantum advantage”
Designed to be scalable and to integrate multiple processors in the future, this system will allow execution algorithms at a utility-scale, surpassing brute-force classical simulation methods. The Qiskit software will be able to execute certain types of quantum circuits with up to 5,000 two-qubit gate operations.
“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,” explained Jay Gambetta, vice president, IBM Quantum.
The members of the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center will use this system to strengthen quantum talent training, foster economic growth, and design new algorithms with practical applications aligned with the Basque Government’s IKUR 2030 strategy for the development of quantum technologies. Among its applications are the modeling of new materials and research on the role of quantum computing in sustainability initiatives.
“This technology will be key to addressing digital transformation and providing us with a cutting-edge scientific infrastructure that will strengthen our ecosystem of science, technology, and innovation,” expressed the president of the Basque regional government, Imanol Pradales. “it will represent a great opportunity for the economic and social development of the Basque Country, in addition to opening the door to cooperation with other regions, countries, and actors in the evolution of this technology,” he concluded.
