IBM unveiled the first IBM Quantum Data Center outside the United States. Europe’s first IBM Quantum Data Center, located in Ehningen, Germany, includes two new utility-scale, IBM Quantum Eagle-based systems and will soon feature a new IBM Quantum Heron-based system.
It is the company’s second quantum data center in the world. It marks a significant expansion of its fleet of advanced, utility-scale quantum systems available to global users via the cloud.
This data centre can perform computations beyond the brute-force simulation capabilities of classical computers with IBM Quantum Eagle-based systems and will soon feature a new IBM Quantum Heron-based system are also introduced.
First introduced late last year, IBM Heron is the company’s most performant quantum chip yet, advancing its mission of bringing useful quantum computing to the world by enabling users to increase the complexity of algorithms they are exploring on real quantum hardware.
When the IBM Heron-based system is made available at the IBM Quantum Data Center in Europe, it will be the third IBM Heron installed across IBM’s fleet of quantum systems.
The opening of the new quantum data center was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting event attended by senior government officials, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour, and Tourism, State of Baden-Württemberg.
IBM CEO and Chairman Arvind Krishna gave remarks alongside Chancellor Scholz, and the Chancellor also spoke at length with IBM leaders, including Dario Gil, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research; Ana Paula Assis, General Manager of IBM EMEA; Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum; and IBM Quantum’s German-based team about the importance of quantum computing’s adoption and growth in the region.
“The opening of the IBM Quantum Data Center in Ehningen is good news for Germany. It will serve as a location for innovation and business growth, and is an expression of investors’ confidence in the German market. IBM enriches the German quantum computing landscape with this new data center. The German government is providing targeted support for the development of quantum technologies. It is thereby driving forward the development of competencies and capacities in quantum computing in order to promote a robust ecosystem around the development of quantum computers,” said Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
“The opening of our first IBM Quantum Data Center in Europe marks a pivotal moment for the region’s technological development, demonstrates our commitment to Europe, and underscores the key role of collaboration with industry, academia, and policymakers for a pan-European quantum ecosystem. This state-of-the-art facility will foster innovation around quantum computing, creating new opportunities for talent attraction and ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of global technological advancements,” said Ana Paula Assis, General Manager and Chairman of IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The IBM Quantum Data Center in Europe can be accessed through the IBM Quantum Platform, continuing IBM’s mission to enable the development of quantum computing use cases and to support clients as they press forward with algorithm discovery in the era of quantum utility and towards quantum advantage.
Also Read: IBM Expands Quantum Data Center in New York for Advanced Algorithm Discovery
