EuroQCS-Spain, a new quantum computer owned by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), has been officially inaugurated in Barcelona, marking another milestone in Europe’s effort to build a continent-wide quantum computing ecosystem.
The system is hosted and operated by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center–Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) and was unveiled during a ceremony attended by senior representatives from the Spanish Government, the Government of Catalonia, the European Commission, and EuroHPC JU.
The newly launched EuroQCS-Spain is an analogue quantum computer designed to perform quantum annealing, a specialised approach for solving complex optimisation problems.
Developed by Spanish companies Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech and Do IT Now, the system will be integrated with the MareNostrum 5 supercomputer, creating a hybrid classical-quantum computing platform available to researchers, industry and public-sector users across Europe.
The result is a significant expansion of Europe’s quantum computing infrastructure. Following final calibration and testing at BSC, the first-generation system is expected to begin onboarding users shortly.
EuroQCS-Spain will provide access to advanced optimisation capabilities that could benefit sectors ranging from logistics and finance to artificial intelligence and scientific research.
Quantum annealing system integrated with MareNostrum 5
Located in Barcelona, EuroQCS-Spain has been designed as an analogue quantum annealer capable of implementing quantum annealing routines.
Unlike universal gate-based quantum computers, quantum annealers focus on optimisation tasks by gradually evolving a quantum system toward the most efficient solution to a problem.
The first version of the machine features 10 physical qubits. Future upgrades are planned to improve coherence times and increase the number of data qubits, enhancing performance and expanding potential use cases.
A key feature of the project is its integration with MareNostrum 5, one of Europe’s leading pre-exascale supercomputers.
This hybrid architecture combines traditional high-performance computing with quantum processing capabilities, allowing users to leverage both technologies within a single research environment.
Applications across science, industry and AI
Quantum annealing has attracted growing interest because of its ability to tackle optimisation challenges that are difficult for conventional computing systems.
The technology is particularly effective when searching for optimal solutions within highly complex problem spaces containing numerous local optima.
Potential applications for EuroQCS-Spain include molecular modelling, simulations of physical systems, supply-chain and logistics optimisation, financial modelling, quantum machine learning and AI training workloads.
Researchers expect the platform to support experimentation in areas where hybrid classical-quantum workflows can deliver advantages over traditional methods.
€8.5m investment backed by Spain, Portugal, and EuroHPC
The acquisition cost of EuroQCS-Spain totals €8.5m. Funding is shared equally between the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, with additional support from Portugal.
The system is expected to remain operational for at least three years, contributing to Europe’s broader strategy to develop sovereign quantum computing capabilities and reduce reliance on non-European technologies.
Part of a growing European quantum ecosystem
The launch of EuroQCS-Spain brings the number of quantum computers procured by EuroHPC JU to six. Four other systems have already entered service across Europe, including PIAST-Q in Poland, VLQ in Czechia, Euro-Q-Exa in Germany, and Lucy in France.
EuroHPC’s deployment strategy focuses on creating a diverse portfolio of quantum technologies, spanning neutral atoms, trapped ions, superconducting circuits, photonics and quantum annealing systems.
By supporting multiple technological approaches, the initiative aims to provide European users with access to complementary quantum platforms and to accelerate innovation in the emerging quantum computing sector.
Additional EuroHPC quantum systems are currently being procured for deployment in the Netherlands and Luxembourg, signalling continued investment in Europe’s next-generation computing infrastructure.