By 2024, the first quantum data center in Europe should be operational in Ehningen, Germany. That is what IBM announces.
It is already the second for IBM, but it is a first for Europe: IBM is announcing its plans to build a quantum data center in Germany. The data center is specific to the European market and keeps European privacy rules in mind. This means that all data remains within the borders of the European Union. In this way, IBM mainly wants to lower the threshold for quantum computing in Europe. The data center will also be the seat of IBM Quantum in Europe.
The data center should be fully operational by 2024. Several IBM quantum systems would then have to be available, all with processors with more than 100 qubits available to get started with. That computing power should enable researchers to make discoveries in physics, computer science and material science. The intention of the data center is immediately to be accessible to researchers all over Europe, which means that access to quantum computing should be available across the entire continent.
Why IBM chooses Ehningen? One of the main reasons is the fact that there is already a quantum computer there today, but it is used exclusively for research. In addition, Ehning is close to the cloud region ‘Frankfurt’, which makes the positioning of the data center even more interesting.
Quantum computing today
Today, quantum computing over the cloud is already being deployed by more than 60 European organizations. These include names such as Bosch, Universitiät der Bundeswehr, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, E.ON, the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), Poznan Supercomputing and T-Systems.
A European region in the quantum cloud is an important step for quantum computing in Europe. At the moment, this has already taken a lot of effort: in 100 different series of lessons at European universities, quantum is taught with IBM’s Qiskit software. The data center in Europe must ensure that this interest and need for quantum computing is supported by the necessary infrastructure.
