Europe's leap into quantum computing future starts from absolute zero - Yahoo
Summarize this article with:
Europe's leap into quantum computing future starts from absolute zero 12.02.2026, 19:24 Uhr By Sabine Dobel in Munich and Christoph Dernbach, dpa A novel quantum computer - described as launching the journey into unknown dimensions - has officially been put into operation at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences near the southern German city of Munich.Euro-Q-Exa is one of six quantum systems constructed as part of an EU project integrated into European high-performance computers and procured by the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU). The EU aims to secure a leading position in this field and create its own computing capacities.Colder than spaceThe new quantum computer in the Bavarian town of Garching, integrated into the local supercomputer SuperMUC-NG and operating with technology from the German-Finnish start-up IQM Quantum Computer, has a computing power of 54 quantum bits (qubits). It is cooled to below -273 degrees Celsius to stabilize and make the sensitive computing units usable, which is considered absolute zero, the theoretical, lowest possible physical temperature. For comparison, space has a temperature of about -270 degrees. Euro-Q-Exa is expected to be supplemented by the end of the year with a quantum computer with about 150 qubits."With Euro-Q-Exa, we combine the strengths of quantum computing with those of supercomputing. Researchers thus have the opportunity to test new approaches, implement groundbreaking calculations, and thereby explore new scientific dimensions," said LRZ head Dieter Kranzlmüller.Quantum computers can solve complex computational tasks in trade and logistics, finance and microchip design, such as finding the most efficient connection between locations. Even with 10 locations, several million possibilities arise, and with 58, the number of variants rises to a tredecillion – a number with 78 digits in European long-scale usage. This makes calculation with classical methods extremely laborious.The company IQM, which built the quantum computer at the LRZ, is a Finnish-German spin-off from Aalto University. EU Vice President for Technology Henna Virkkunen, who hails from Finland, attended the opening.Milestone for Europe"In line with Germany's High-tech Agenda, we will become a top technology country in the key technology of quantum technologies," said German Research Minister Dorothee Bär.Bavarian Science Minister Markus Blume said that the developments in Garching send a strong signal: "Projects like this show that Bavaria is ready to take responsibility for Europe's digital future." Anders Jensen, executive director of the EuroHPC JU, described it as a milestone on the way to a world-class European quantum computer infrastructure.The system costs a total of €25 million ($34.05 million). Of this, the federal government covers €12 million, the European Union €10 million, and Bavaria €3 million. The German federal-level Ministry of Research also finances the necessary personnel and materials.