August 1, 2024 –- The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has launched a call for tender for the installation of EuroQCS-Italy, a new EuroHPC quantum computer to be integrated into the EuroHPC pre-exascale system Leonardo.

EuroQCS-Italy will be a quantum computer or -simulator based on neutral atoms. The system should provide at least 50 physical qubits in digital mode, or 140 qubits in analogue mode.  

The new system will be hosted by CINECA in Bologna and integrated into the EuroHPC pre-exascale system Leonardo.

EuroQCS-Italy will be available to a wide range of European users, from the scientific community to industry and the public sector. The upcoming quantum computing infrastructure will support the development of a wide range of applications with industrial, scientific and societal relevance for Europe, adding new capabilities to the European supercomputing infrastructure.

The total cost of the system is EUR 13 million. The Union's contribution from the Digital Europe Programme should cover up to 50% of the acquisition costs, up to 50% of the costs for the integration of the quantum computer with the existing co-located supercomputer of the hosting entity and up to 50 % of the operating costs of this quantum computer.

The acquisition and integration of quantum computers into existing HPC data centres is the EuroHPC JU’s first initiative to procure quantum computing hardware directly, which will be owned by the EuroHPC JU.

The closing date for submission of an application to tender is 5 September 2024 at 16:00 CEST. More information can be found here.