The Basque Government and IBM inaugurate Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two in Donostia/San Sebastian

The Basque Government and IBM today unveiled Europe’s first operational IBM Quantum System Two (the third in the world), which will be installed at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center in Donostia/San Sebastian. The installation of this system marks a milestone in the strategic collaboration between the two entities, which began in 2023 within the framework of the BasQ - Basque Quantum initiative, promoted by the Basque Government to consolidate the Basque Country’s position as an international hub for quantum technologies.

The system installed in the new Ikerbasque building at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center, was inaugurated this morning at an institutional ceremony presided over by the President of the Basque Government, Imanol Pradales, with speeches by Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum; Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias, Minister of Science, Universities and Innovation of the Basque Government, Eider Mendoza, Deputy General of Gipuzkoa, Eneko Goia, the Mayor of San Sebastian and Horacio Morell, President of IBM Spain. The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the First and Second Vice Presidents of the Basque Government, the Deputies General of Alava and Bizkaia, among others, together with a large representation from the scientific, institutional and business spheres.

This installation of IBM Quantum System Two is only the second such deployment of this system outside the United States. It is powered by a 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron processor, one of the best quantum processors the company has developed to date. This system has been designed to be scaled up and integrate multiple processors in the future, and marks a technological milestone by enabling the execution of utility-scale algorithms, surpassing the capabilities of classic simulation.

The President of the Basque Government, Imanol Pradales, stressed the Basque Government's commitment to research, innovation and progress. “Aware of our size, and taking a risk, we decided once again to compete among the best. Today, we are continuing in the direction we have been heading in for more than 40 years. We are doing so for one simple reason: because we truly believe in science. Because we are living longer and better thanks to science. Quantum technologies will have an impact on areas of our daily lives such as health, the development of new drugs, communications, energy and cybersecurity. The Basque Country is well placed: we have deployed an ecosystem that is the result of a courageous, sustained commitment over time”. “We are in a position to harness the quantum advantage we have given ourselves. We need to focus on those areas that are strategic for our country. Our driving force is the Basque Quantum Strategy, which will take a giant step forward today. The BasQ strategy will allow us to be a magnet for generating knowledge and attracting talent. It will allow us to connect with other knowledge and innovation hubs and ecosystems to gain a competitive edge and development as a country. It will also allow us to align ourselves with the Europe’s resilience and reindustrialisation strategy, taking advantage of the investment in infrastructure and technologies that are essential for the transformations that we need to deal with as a continent and as a country", Pradales said.

“The two-year collaboration with the BasQ scientific team has led to important results in the fields of materials science and high-energy physics. Our goal now is for our teams to consolidate a growing ecosystem with Europe's first IBM Quantum System Two, powered by our best-in-class IBM Quantum Heron quantum processor,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Felken.

The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center team now has access to the system, along with other IBM resources, to help build the Southern Europe’s quantum ecosystem, promote economic development and develop new useful algorithms to help achieve the Basque Government's IKUR 2030 vision for quantum technologies. The specific efforts on algorithm development will directly help achieve the IKUR 2030 goals of developing applications in strategic sectors such as energy, biomedicine and artificial intelligence. The Center also contributes in terms of positioning the Basque Country as a leader in the field of quantum technologies and reinforces the commitments of IBM and the Basque Government to lead scientific and technological development in this strategic field.

An infrastructure for knowledge and industry of the future

The launch of IBM Quantum System Two in the Basque Country not only symbolises the progress of the scientific community, but also opens up new opportunities for applying the technology in strategic sectors. The capabilities of the new system will make it possible to tackle complex challenges in areas such as the design of new materials, the optimisation of industrial processes, biomedical simulation and the improvement of artificial intelligence algorithms.

By taking this step, the Basque Country will consolidate its position by playing a key role in IBM's global quantum computing network and reinforce its ambition to be a leader in the development of this emerging technology. These initiatives promote awareness-raising, education and training through innovative, immersive learning experiences, aimed at both students and professionals in the field of science and technology.

About the Basque Government's commitment to Quantum

The Basque Government's commitment to quantum computing began in 2019 with the IKUR Strategy, which identified this field as one of the priority scientific areas for the Basque Country, along with neuroscience, neutronics and artificial intelligence. The collaboration with IBM was announced in March 2023 as part of this strategy, with the aim of setting up a quantum center and deploying an IBM Quantum system in the Basque Country, representing an important step towards positioning the territory at the forefront of quantum science and innovation. This commitment was reinforced in March 2025, with the announcement that Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two would be installed in the Basque Country.

The Basque Government's commitment to quantum technologies took shape under the name of BasQ - Basque Quantum (https://www.basquequantum.eus), an initiative led by the Basque Government's Department of Science, Universities and Innovation, in collaboration with the Provincial Councils of Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. Beyond being a technological facility, BasQ was created as an comprehensive ecosystem designed to boost quantum science, train talent, attract investment and develop applications in strategic sectors such as energy, industry, biomedicine and artificial intelligence.

The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center

The mission of the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center, home of the IBM_BasqueCountry system, is to promote the use of advanced quantum technologies in the Basque Country, strengthen high-level scientific research and foster international collaboration. It also aims to consolidate an ecosystem of excellence by training specialised talent and generating knowledge in a strategic area for the future. The center provides the BasQ network and other institutions linked to the Basque Government's quantum strategy with a state-of-the-art infrastructure that will facilitate access to unique computing capabilities.

Similarly, the Basque Government and IBM are collaborating on developing training programmes aimed at positioning the Basque Country as a leading global center for quantum talent. These initiatives promote awareness, education and training through innovative, immersive learning experiences, aimed at both students and professionals in the field of science and technology.

About IBM

IBM is a leading global provider of hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence and business services, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalise on the value of their data, optimise processes, reduce costs and gain a competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 4,000 public and private entities in critical areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on the IBM Hybrid Cloud Platform and Red Hat OpenShift to speed up their digital transformation quickly, efficiently and securely.

IBM's innovations in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services provide open, flexible options to its clients. This is all underpinned by the corporation's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusiveness and service.

About Ikerbasque

In 2007, the Basque Government created Ikerbasque to strengthen the Basque scientific system by attracting, recruiting and retaining researchers from all over the world. The Basque Foundation for Science is a consolidated organisation, with 373 researchers from 35 countries, from all areas of knowledge, who are currently working at 25 associated institutions.