SPECIAL FEATURE | Europe enters the Quantum Computing realm - W.Media

Quantum computing has been equal parts revolutionary and mystifying as a technology. While on one hand, it is helping researchers perform advanced calculations to find answers to some of the hardest questions ever pondered by the global scientific community, it is also rather exciting because of its complexity, often featured as a hobby of superheroes (and villains) in works of fiction.In this piece, we not only seek to unravel the mysteries of this marvelous technology, but also to understand its impact on and contribution to the development of global digital and compute infrastructure, particularly its virtual explosion across Europe.In particular, we will explore where quantum computing is being deployed across Europe, from existing facilities in established digital infrastructure markets like the FLAP-D, to emerging markets for high performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) across the Nordics, the Mediterranean as well as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).Quantum computing first emerged in the 1980s from the intersection of quantum mechanics and computer science, with foundational contributions from American theoretical physicistsRichard Feynman and British physicist David Deutsch. The field advanced significantly through the development of quantum algorithms, such as factoring algorithms developed by American computer scientist Peter Shor that demonstrated the potential of quantum computers to solve problems beyond the capabilities of classical systems. Quantum computing works very differently from commercial computers that use bits. Quantum computers use qubits, which can represent multiple possibilities simultaneously to solve certain complex problems much faster than even the most powerful classical computers. These quantum computer systems are designed for specialized tasks such as advancing space technology, developing new medicines, improving logistics, creating advanced materials, and solving scientific problems that would take ordinary computers years to complete.Quantum data centers operate using quantum states to process information instead of conventional bits used by servers in traditional data centers. These particular facilities represent a new approach to computing infrastructure which are designed for complex calculations that require highly controlled environments, including advanced cooling systems and precise hardware, to maintain the stability needed for quantum operations.The invention of Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) through a cloud-based approach allows individuals, researchers, and organizations to access quantum computing resources without owning expensive quantum hardware. Users can run quantum algorithms, experiment with quantum processors, and integrate quantum capabilities into existing applications through online platforms. In Europe, the growth of quantum computing has been driven by strong public investment, collaborative research, and strategic initiatives. Following the Quantum Manifesto in 2016, the Flagship was launched in 2018, combining research institutions, industry, public funders, consolidating and expanding European scientific leadership and excellence in quantum technologies.

The European Union’s Quantum Flagship program supports the work of hundreds of quantum researchers over 10 years, with an expected budget of €1 billion (US$ 1.14 billion) from the EU. Supported by leading research institutions and national quantum strategies, Europe has become a major hub for quantum computing research, innovation, and technology development.According to MarketsandMarkets, the global quantum computing market is expected to grow from US$ 3.52 billion in 2025 to US$ 20.20 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.8 percent. This growth is being driven by rapid advances in quantum hardware, greater accessibility through cloud-based platforms, and increasing investment from both public and private sectors. High-growth application areas include ML, optimization, and simulation, while cloud-based deployments are helping reduce barriers to adoption.The size of the quantum computing market across Europe stood at US$ 1.1 billion in 2025, and is projected to reach US$ 3.28 billion by 2030, translating into a 24.42 percent CAGR over the forecast period. National and EU-level public funding, notably the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe, underpins a rapid scale-up of infrastructure and skills pipelines. Hardware remains the biggest revenue contributor, but demand for quantum-as-a-service models is expanding even faster as enterprises tap cloud platforms hosted in Frankfurt, Dublin, Amsterdam and Zurich, according to Mordor Intelligence.Photonic systems gain traction because they sidestep cryogenic cooling, while gate-based architectures continue to dominate high-fidelity research workloads. Regulatory push for quantum-safe cryptography, combined with early proofs of value in portfolio optimization and molecular simulation, align the region’s academic strength with distinct industrial use cases in automotive, finance and life sciences.Another Europe quantum computing market report by Grand View Horizon, projects the Europe quantum market to reach a revenue of US$ 2.3 billion by 2033, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.2 percent from 2026 to 2033. The market generated US$ 557.9 million in revenue in 2025 and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period, driven by increasing investments, technological advancements, and the adoption of quantum solutions across industries.The European Commission adopted a Quantum Strategy to guide the development of quantum technologies in Europe through 2030. The strategy responds to concerns that, despite strong research capabilities and progress in quantum technology, the EU has been less successful in converting research results into commercial applications and has faced fragmented national strategies and roadmaps across Member States.The strategy covers research and innovation, quantum infrastructure, support for startups and scaleups, supply-chain development, and the industrialization of quantum technologies. It also includes the integration of space and dual-use quantum technologies into security and defence policy, as well as measures to support education, training, and workforce mobility in quantum-related fields across the EU.Supported by multi-billion euro initiatives European nations are actively deploying standalone hardware, building hybrid supercomputing infrastructures and establishing numerous quantum computing projects in technology institutions and cities. FLAP-D is the largest data center market and central hub for infrastructure development in Europe. Quantum computing is emerging predominantly in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Each country hosts some of the most advanced quantum computing systems in Europe.Germany has become one of Europe’s leading countries in the field of quantum computing with the German government investing billions of euros in quantum technologies combining national high-tech strategy and European research initiatives. Located in Jülich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the JUPITER supercomputer became the first European system to surpass the exascale threshold in November 2025. It was developed by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) in partnership with the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and procured through EuroHPC. JUPITER is intended to support research in climate science, energy, medicine, materials science, and large-scale AI training. Its computing power enables researchers to run higher-resolution climate models, improve simulations of energy systems, and investigate complex biological processes involving proteins, cells, and the brain. By extending Europe’s capacity for data-intensive research, the system is expected to accelerate discoveries across multiple scientific disciplines. The broader German high-performance computing ecosystem also includes the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) in Munich, one of the major computing centres within the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing. LRZ contributes complementary expertise through its long-standing experience in research computing and HPC operations. The center explores the use of innovative IT components for a range of user scenarios, while its Centre for Virtual Reality and Visualisation develops tools for transforming research results into visual representations. In addition, the Quantum Integration Centre investigates quantum technologies and their integration with supercomputing systems, linking emerging quantum capabilities with advanced HPC infrastructures such as JUPITER.Although not located in London, the UK’s only operational 100-physical-qubit quantum computing system is housed at the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) through its Sqale platform. The system reached a key milestone in December 2025, fulfilling an objective identified by the NQCC as critical to the UK’s National Quantum Strategy. This achievement establishes the foundational infrastructure needed for researchers and industry to begin developing and testing applications on large-scale quantum systems. Amsterdam is a major European technology hub, supported by strong digital infrastructure and international connectivity for fintech, AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, sustainable technology, and quantum computing, with growing research activity and collaboration between universities, industry, and innovation networks. In late March 2025, Digital Realty partnered with SURF to host the Netherlands’ first quantum computing system at its AMS17 data center in Amsterdam Science Park. The deployment is supported by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking program and will place the quantum computer within a professional data center environment designed to support specialized computing infrastructure.The quantum computer will be installed alongside the national supercomputer, Snellius, which is already hosted at AMS17. By locating the two systems in the same facility, the project establishes a new quantum computing hub within the Netherlands’ national research infrastructure and expands the role of the AMS17 data center in supporting advanced computing workloads.France is one of Europe’s most important centers for quantum computing research and innovation. In 2021, the French government launched a €1.8 billion (US$ 2 billion) national quantum strategy aimed at accelerating the development of quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing technologies. The program supports both academic research and the growth of a domestic quantum industry. The most powerful photonic quantum computer named ‘Lucy’ was installed at CEA’s TGCC in France on April 16, 2026. This 12-photonic-qubit system gives researchers and industry access to a platform for testing quantum algorithms, developing hybrid HPC–quantum workflows, and exploring early applications in optimization, chemistry and ML.Acquired by EuroHPC through the EuroQCS-France consortium, Lucy is designed for broad access across the European research community and connected to the Joliot-Curie supercomputer. Early projects are expected to focus on energy grid optimization, renewable energy integration, financial modelling, logistics, aerospace design, materials research and trajectory optimization. The system will allow users to experiment with quantum computing on practical problems while preparing applications for larger-scale quantum hardware.While the smallest of the FLAP-D markets, Dublin has formed the Trinity Quantum Alliance (TQA) to serve as a catalyst for investment in quantum technology in Ireland, with the long-term ambition of creating a thriving quantum ecosystem that delivers benefits across multiple industry sectors. Founded by Trinity College Dublin in partnership with Microsoft, IBM, Horizon Quantum Computing, Algorithmiq and Moody’s Analytics, the Alliance brings together leading organisations committed to advancing Ireland’s quantum capabilities. The Mediterranean is becoming a significant secondary hub for quantum technologies, with the strongest activity concentrated in Italy, Spain and Greece. Initiatives such as QCIMED are aimed at developing a secure and resilient quantum communication infrastructure across the Mediterranean region.

The Italian Research Centre on HPC, Big Data, and Quantum Computing (ICSC) has inaugurated the IQM Radiance 54 quantum computer at CINECA, one of Europe’s leading supercomputing centers, enabling advanced applications in optimization, simulation, and ML.The installation, located at the CINECA headquarters in the DAMA Tecnopolo in Bologna, Italy is the first on-premises superconducting quantum computer at CINECA and the second IQM quantum computer in Italy. IQM’s ongoing business combination with Real Asset Acquisition Corp will result in IQM becoming a public company in mid-2026.Barcelona, Spain, has become home to Europe’s first multimodal quantum computing infrastructure, as Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech inaugurated its new Quantum Data Center in the city’s innovation district to enhance the evolving quantum computing landscape.Analog quantum platforms are designed to solve continuous and complex problems, such as simulating molecules, materials, and physical systems. Provide new methods for training AI models and solving large-scale optimization tasks, offering faster and more energy-efficient computing.The University of Malaga’s Supercomputing and Bioinformatics Centre has secured €3.21 million (US$ 3.75 million) in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to expand its Picasso supercomputer which enhances Spain’s HPC computing facilities and AI capabilities through the Spanish Supercomputing Network (RES). The investment addressed the demand for accelerated computing demand in AI-based scientific research across Spain.In the eastern Mediterranean, Greece is developing its national quantum communication infrastructure through the HellasQCI project to enhance critical data and digital communications security. Supported by the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance the project aims to integrate quantum technologies, particularly Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), into existing communication networks, providing advanced encryption capabilities and an additional layer of protection for sensitive information across sectors such as eGovernment, healthcare, finance, and other critical domains.HellasQCI will establish quantum metropolitan networks between Athens, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion, connected to Optical Ground Stations and integrated with optical fiber and satellite technologies. HellasQCI will contribute to a secure national and European quantum communication ecosystem, supporting future-proof digital infrastructures. The Nordics are currently one of the most attractive regions for data center development in Europe and quantum computing deployment is gaining momentum. Finland launched its new national supercomputer named Roihu in May 2026, located at the IT Center for Science (CSC) data center in Kajaani, focused on high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Bull has delivered and inaugurated the supercomputer’s system which is intended to support applications including AI, ML, fluid dynamics and climate modelling.The system replaces Finland’s previous national supercomputers and triples the country’s total supercomputing capacity. Roihu is based on Bull’s liquid-cooled BullSequana architecture and includes a GPU platform with more than ten times the capacity of the previous system, alongside high-performance storage capabilities.The LUMI AI Factory, led by CSC – IT Center for Science (CSC), a Finnish center of expertise in ICT, is gearing up to deploy a Halocene H4 quantum computer that will be integrated into the LUMI data center in Kajaani, Finland. It has selected IQM Quantum Computers (IQM), a European quantum computing hardware and software company, to deliver the system, named LUMI-IQ in 2027. The quantum computer will be integrated with the LUMI supercomputer environment to support research using quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-performance computing (HPC). The system will allow LUMI AI Factory users to develop and test quantum error correction methods and explore hybrid computing approaches.Quantum computing is emerging as a significant area of scientific and technological development in Central Eastern Europe. Poland strengthened its quantum ecosystem after IQM Quantum Computers deployed a 54-qubit hybrid integrated quantum computer at Galaxy Systemy Informatyczne Sp. z o.o in Zielona Gora, Poland, marking the first installation of this kind of quantum infrastructure in a private enterprise worldwide. The super computer is scheduled for installation in Q4 2026 and will support applications across industry, academia, and sectors including energy, finance, and space technologies. VLQ (V – VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, its location; L – LUMI-Q Consortium; Q – Quantum Computing) was inaugurated at IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center in the Czech Republic and is the second quantum computer deployed in Europe under the EuroHPC JU. It is part of efforts to expand European quantum computing infrastructure and is operated through the LUMI-Q consortium, which includes thirteen partners from eight countries. The system is integrated into the European high-performance computing ecosystem and, in Ostrava, is directly connected to the Karolina supercomputer to enable combined classical and quantum computing workflows.DriverAI LLC, a U.S.-based technology company, has moved forward with plans to develop an 80 MW Quantum AI Data Center in Luna, Cluj County, Romania, within an industrial and technology park being developed by Leviatan Group. Infrastructure company E-INFRA will oversee power supply and energy systems, while Carstens Consulting Global Inc. (CCG) will support project management and institutional coordination. The proposed facility would be built in four phases of 20 MW each and is intended to combine high-density GPU computing infrastructure with quantum computing hardware.The Faculty of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of Ljubljana (UL FRI) has launched FRIDA, a new high-performance computing infrastructure designed for artificial intelligence, ML, large language models, scientific computing and large-scale data processing. FRIDA is built as a modular container data center with hybrid cooling, combining air cooling with liquid cooling directly on chips to handle the high thermal demands of modern AI servers. It is an academic supercomputer platform for researchers, students and industry partners working on advanced computing projects.Since June 2019, all 27 EU Member States have signed the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), agreeing to work together, with the Commission and with the support of the European Space Agency, towards the development of a quantum communication infrastructure covering the whole EU.Europe is quickly positioning itself as a global powerhouse in quantum computing by transitioning its scientific research into a sovereign, highly advanced industrial ecosystem. The region is laying the groundwork for technologies that could redefine computing itself. Whether Europe ultimately leads the quantum revolution will depend on its ability to turn scientific breakthroughs into commercial success. Listen to latest: Data Center Talent in Thailand: Building the Next Digital Workforce | EP 69by Brendyn Lotzby Jan Yongby Conor McNevinby Simon Dux