IBM to install quantum computing system in Germany

IBM and European applied research organization Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft announced an agreement to partner in the area of quantum computing with the goal of advancing the research and experimentation in Germany. The cooperation aims to drive the creation of a new community for industry and application-oriented quantum computation strategies.

An IBM Q System One, owned and operated by IBM, will be located in an IBM facility in Germany. It will be the first installation of its kind in Europe. Developed by IBM Research, the IBM Q System One is optimized for the quality, stability, reliability, and reproducibility of multi-qubit operations. Quantum Computing has the promise to address complex optimization problems and make artificial intelligence much more powerful, with such advances opening the door to modelling of financial data, for example.

The German Government will invest €650 million ($716.4) over the next two years to support the transition of quantum technologies from basic research into market-ready applications, and the IBM Q Network will have a major, new European hub for quantum computing. The hub will focus on developing a concentration of quantum skills in Germany and build a community of academics, researchers, developers, IT professionals and industry experts around the technology.

Anja Karliczek, German federal minister of Education and Research, said in a statement, “Quantum technology is set to have a major impact on Germany’s future, in both the scientific and economic sphere. Last year, the federal government therefore launched the program ‘Quantum technology: from basic principles to market applications’, which provides a clearly defined framework for action. Federal funds of €650 million euros will be invested in research and the development of quantum technology over the period until 2022. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s collaboration with IBM in the field of quantum computing can make an important contribution to the realization of this program. It is vital that we now begin developing various fields of application for quantum computing, not least for small and medium-sized companies, which play a significant role in the German economy.”

“This partnership is a landmark quantum computing initiative and a crucial step forward for German research institutions as well as businesses of all sizes in our country. The installation of an IBM Q System in Europe is unprecedented and opens up the development of quantum computational strategies at the Fraunhofer-Centre under full data sovereignty according to European law”, said Professor Reimund Neugebauer, president of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft.