EuroHPC Selects Pasqal to Build 140-Qubit Neutral Atom Quantum Simulator in Italy, Upgrade Planned for 2027

Insider Brief:

• The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has signed a €13 million procurement contract with Pasqal to deliver EuroQCS-Italy, a neutral atom-based quantum simulator hosted by CINECA in Bologna, Italy.

• The system will initially provide at least 140 analogue-mode qubits, with a 2027 upgrade introducing hybrid analogue/digital capabilities for more complex quantum algorithm execution.

• EuroQCS-Italy will support scientific, industrial, and public sector users across Europe, enabling research in quantum many-body physics, optimization, machine learning, and materials science.

• This project is part of a broader EuroHPC initiative to establish a diverse network of quantum computing platforms across Europe, including deployments in Czechia, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

• Image Credit: EuroHPC JU

PRESS RELEASE — The procurement contract for EuroQCS-Italy, the EuroHPC quantum computer to be located in Italy, has been signed by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) and quantum computing company Pasqal, the selected vendor.

EuroQCS-Italy will be a quantum simulator based on neutral atoms. The first generation processor will provide at least 140 qubits operating in analogue mode and will be upgraded in 2027 to offer a neutral atom quantum simulator operable in a hybrid analogue/digital mode. This upgrade will introduce additional degrees of freedom, enabling the design of more sophisticated Hamiltonians and allowing end-users to implement a wider range of quantum algorithms and use-cases.

The new quantum computer will be available to a wide range of European users, from the scientific community to industry and the public sector. Utilising arrays of optically trapped atoms and programmable laser interactions, this quantum simulator will enable the exploration of quantum many-body physics, optimisation problems, and machine learning applications. The upcoming quantum computing infrastructure will support the development of advanced simulations in material science, quantum chemistry, and logistics, offering new capabilities for industrial, scientific, and societal advancements in Europe.

Owned by the EuroHPC JU, the processor will be hosted and operated by CINECA in Bologna, Italy and integrated into the EuroHPC pre-exascale system Leonardo, enhancing hybrid quantum-classical computing workflows.

EuroQCS-Italy is co-funded with a total acquisition cost of EUR 13 million. The EuroHPC JU will fund 50% of the costs, while the other 50% will be funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca – MUR) through ICSC, the Italian High-Performance Computing, Big Data e Quantum Computing Research Centre established in the framework of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR/RRF funds). The EuroQCS-Italy consortium is led by CINECA, and includes the Academic and Research Network of Slovenia (ARNES) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) in Germany.

The installation of the quantum computer will start in 2025.

More details

Pasqal Selected to Deliver EuroQCS-Italy Quantum Computer under New EuroHPC JU Contract, press release from Pasqal

Background

Pasqal has been selected following a call for tender launched in August 2024.

In 2023, the EuroHPC JU selected and signed hosting agreements with six sites across Europe to host and operate EuroHPC quantum computers: in Czechia, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland.

In 2024 and 2025, the EuroHPC JU has announced the signatures of the procurement contracts for:

• EuroQCS-Poland quantum computer, 
• LUMI-Q consortium quantum computer in Czechia,
• Lucy located in France, 
• Euro-Q-Exa located in Germany and
• EuroQCS-Spain located in Barcelona.

In 2024, the EuroHPC JU also selected and signed hosting agreements of new sites to host and operate two additional state-of-the art quantum computers: in Luxembourg and in the Netherlands.

The deployment of these quantum computers across Europe aims to offer the widest possible variety of European quantum computing platforms and hybrid classical-quantum architectures. This approach positions Europe at the forefront of this emerging field while providing European users with access to diverse and complementary quantum technologies. 

These eight quantum computers come on top of two analogue quantum simulators procured under the EuroHPC JU project HPCQS and which are based on neutral atoms, also supplied by Pasqal. HPCQS aims to develop and coordinate a cloud-based European federated infrastructure, tightly integrating the two quantum computers, each controlling 100-plus qubits in the Tier-0 HPC systems Joliot-Curie of GENCI and the JURECA modular supercomputer at the Julich Supercomputing Centre (JSC).  

SOURCE: EuroHPC JU