IBM has officially unveiled its first quantum data center in Europe, marking a significant milestone in expanding quantum computing capabilities outside the United States. This is IBM’s second quantum data center in Ehningen, Germany. The facility was launched by German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, high-ranking European officials, and leaders from European-based multinational companies.
This cutting-edge center now hosts two IBM Quantum Eagle-based systems and will soon feature IBM’s latest innovation—the Quantum Heron-based system. Heron, first introduced in late 2022, is IBM’s most powerful quantum chip, and significantly enhances the complexity and scale of algorithms that users run on quantum hardware. Once operational in the European center, the Heron-based system will be the third in IBM’s global fleet and offers up to a 16-fold performance boost and a 25-fold speed increase over previous quantum models.
The launch event, which included remarks from IBM Chairman and CEO, Arvind Krishna, highlighted the data center’s importance in accelerating quantum computing’s adoption across Europe. Chancellor Scholz praised the investment, emphasizing the center’s role in driving innovation and business growth in Germany while also boosting the country’s quantum computing ecosystem.
The new center will serve more than 80 European organizations already part of IBM’s Quantum Network, including leading enterprises like Volkswagen Group, Bosch, and Crédit Mutuel, as well as research institutions such as Ikerbasque and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. These organizations now have access to advanced quantum systems, opening doors to solve complex challenges like material science, traffic optimization, and deep learning.
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Leaders Praise IBM Quantum Data Center’s Impact on Europe
Ana Paula Assis, IBM’s General Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, described the facility as pivotal for Europe’s technological development, fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and policymakers to create a pan-European quantum ecosystem. She commented, “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.”
Dr. Nikolai Ardey, Executive Director of Volkswagen Group Innovation, also expressed optimism, noting the potential of quantum computing to revolutionize industries by solving large-scale problems that classical computers cannot tackle. With IBM’s new quantum data center, Europe is set to remain at the forefront of global advancements in quantum technology. Ardey noted that, “IBM’s Quantum Data Center in Europe provides access to their unique quantum infrastructure and thus represents an indispensable piece of the bridge between quantum computers and industrial application at scale.”
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany, stated, “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 expresses 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, driving the development of competencies and capacities in quantum computing to promote a robust ecosystem around the development of quantum computers.”
