Pasqal Launches Italy’s First Neutral-Atom Quantum Computer at CINECA
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Insider Brief Pasqal has inaugurated Italy’s first neutral-atom quantum computer at CINECA in Bologna, expanding Europe’s hybrid HPC-quantum computing infrastructure. The 140-qubit Pasqal Orion system, named SOL, is integrated with the Leonardo supercomputer to support hybrid quantum-classical workloads. The deployment is Pasqal’s third EuroHPC-linked quantum system in Europe, following earlier installations in France and Germany. PRESS RELEASE — Pasqal, one of the global leaders in neutral-atom quantum computing, today announced the inauguration of Europe’s third Pasqal quantum computer hosted at CINECA, Italy’s largest public supercomputing operator and a member of the Italian Research Center on High Performance Computing (ICSC), Big Data, and Quantum Computing, in Bologna, Italy. The system was unveiled at the DAMA Technopole in Emilia-Romagna during a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the launch of new high-performance computing (HPC) and quantum computing systems procured by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU) and co-financed together with the Italy’s Ministry of University and Research through ICSC, including the system delivered by Pasqal. This milestone marks a major step forward in the deployment of Europe’s hybrid HPC and quantum computing infrastructure. The system is Italy’s first neutral-atom quantum computer. Named SOL, it is a Pasqal Orion quantum processing unity (QPU) featuring 140 qubits. It has been engineered for tight integration with the Leonardo pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer — one of the world’s most powerful HPC platforms, ranked 10th on the Top500 list– representing an important step forward in quantum accelerated high-performance computing. At CINECA, Pasqal deploys its HPC–quantum integration stack exposing the QPU as a native resource within the supercomputing environment, enabling hybrid workflows that combine quantum and classical computing resources through standard HPC scheduling and operational mechanisms. The deployment builds on the open-source Quantum Resource Management Interface (QRMI) and supports integration with leading hybrid quantum-classical software ecosystems including NVIDIA CUDA-Q and Qiskit, the open-source software stack for quantum computing and algorithm research developed by IBM. The inauguration builds on Pasqal’s growing footprint across Europe, following the successful deployment of quantum processors in France (CEA-TGCC) and Germany (FZJ-JSC) under the EuroHPC JU’s pilot project HPCQS. Together, these systems form the backbone for Europe’s federated hybrid HPC–quantum infrastructure, enabling researchers and enterprises to tackle complex problems in areas such as materials science, optimization, and machine learning. “The inauguration of this quantum computer marks a major milestone for CINECA and ICSC and for Italy’s role in Europe’s advanced computing ecosystem,” said Sara Marzella, Responsible for Quantum Computing at CINECA. “By integrating Pasqal’s neutral-atom technology with the Leonardo supercomputer, we are enabling a new class of hybrid applications that will empower researchers and industry leaders to address some of the most complex scientific and industrial challenges.” “This inauguration is further proof of Pasqal’s ability to execute at scale and deliver quantum systems where they matter most,” said Wasiq Bokhari, CEO of Pasqal. “Across Europe and beyond, we are turning quantum computing from a research promise into deployed, operational infrastructure that addresses real-world scientific and industrial challenges.” “Today’s inauguration shows how Europe continues to turn ambition into capability. With SOL, the new EuroHPC quantum computer and LISA, the AI-upgrade to the world-class Leonardo supercomputer, we are further strengthening our sovereign supercomputing ecosystem and giving European users new tools to innovate across AI, HPC and quantum technologies. This milestone expands opportunities for research, industry and the public sector, while reinforcing Europe’s technological leadership in strategic supercomputing domains.” said Anders Jensen, Executive Director, EuroHPC JU. The quantum computer was co-funded by the EuroHPC JU and the Italian Ministry of University and Research through the ICSC. It will be operated by CINECA and integrated into a hybrid architecture that allows users to seamlessly offload specialized workloads to the QPU, while relying on Leonardo for classical processing and large-scale data handling. The inauguration underscores Europe’s shift towards quantum industrialization at scale as envisioned in the 2025 European Quantum Strategy. It also highlights and reinforces Pasqal’s role as a leading provider in rolling out scalable, replicable, and energy-efficient neutral-atom quantum systems. SOL is Pasqal’s third EuroHPC-linked neutral-atom system in Europe after Jade and Ruby in Germany and France, which were also integrated to the European HPC-Quantum Computing hybrid infrastructure deployed under Euro-HPC JU’s leadership.
Mohib Ur Rehman LinkedIn Mohib has been tech-savvy since his teens, always tearing things apart to see how they worked. His curiosity for cybersecurity and privacy evolved from tinkering with code and hardware to writing about the hidden layers of digital life. Now, he brings that same analytical curiosity to quantum technologies, exploring how they will shape the next frontier of computing. Share this article: