Pasqal, a global leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, today announced the signing of the procurement contract with the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) to deliver EuroQCS-Italy, a quantum computer to be hosted in Italy. This contract marks a significant milestone in Pasqal’s mission to enlist neutral-atom quantum computing in advancing European scientific and industrial innovation.
The first-generation EuroQCS-Italy processor will provide at least 140 qubits operating in analog mode. In 2027, it will be upgraded to a hybrid analog/digital neutral-atom quantum computer. 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.
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 analog 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).
About Pasqal
Pasqal is a leading quantum computing company that builds quantum processors from ordered neutral atoms in 2D and 3D arrays to bring a practical quantum advantage to its customers and address real-world problems. Pasqal was founded in 2019, out of the Institut d’Optique, by Georges-Olivier Reymond, Christophe Jurczak, Professor Dr. Alain Aspect, Nobel Prize Laureate Physics, 2022, Dr. Antoine Browaeys, and Dr. Thierry Lahaye. Pasqal has secured more than €140 million in financing to date. To learn more about us, visit www.pasqal.com.
About EuroHPC JU
The EuroHPC JU is a legal and funding entity, created in 2018 and reviewed in 2021 by Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 to enable the European Union and participating countries to coordinate efforts and pool resources with the objective of making Europe a world leader in supercomputing.
In order to equip Europe with a world-leading supercomputing infrastructure, the EuroHPC JU has already procured nine supercomputers, located across Europe. Leonardo is currently the 9th most powerful supercomputer in the world according to the latest Top500 list.
Regardless of their location in Europe, European scientists and users from the public sector and industry can benefit from these EuroHPC supercomputers via the EuroHPC Access Calls. This access enables them to advance science and support the development of a wide range of applications with industrial, scientific, and societal relevance for Europe.
In parallel, the EuroHPC JU funds research and innovation projects to develop a full European supercomputing supply chain: from processors and software to applications to be run on these supercomputers and know-how to develop strong European HPC expertise.
Recently reviewed by means of Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1732, the EuroHPC JU received a new mandate to develop and operate AI factories. These comprehensive open AI ecosystems located around EuroHPC supercomputing facilities will support the growth of a highly competitive and innovative AI ecosystem in Europe. In December 2024, the EuroHPC JU selected the sites that will host the first European AI Factories in Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden. In March 2025, the EuroHPC JU has selected six new sites across Europe to host additional AI Factories in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland, and Slovenia.
About Cineca
Cineca stands as one of Italy’s largest computing centres and is globally recognised for its leadership in HPC. Simultaneously, Cineca serves as a crucial provider of solutions and services for universities, research centers, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of University and Research, and other institutions.
