VTT helped its spinout company Arctic Instruments become a world-leading supplier of superconducting microwave amplifiers. VTT can assist startups in transitioning from lab to market, providing expert guidance, state-of-the-art facilities and investor connections.

VTT spinout Arctic Instruments is focused on building its superconducting microwave amplifier technology and product, which is based on decades of accumulated experience on the design and fabrication of superconducting circuits at VTT. The company is on a mission to enable quantum computing and help it create broad societal impact. Arctic Instruments’ goal is to provide top-tier plug & play microwave readout solutions to customers, building upon its experience in making near quantum-limited parametric amplifiers.

Quantum computing demands reliable, scalable low-noise amplifiers

In order to solve many of the most complex problems in various industries – including chemicals, life sciences, finance and mobility – we need to significantly increase the number of qubits and computing power of quantum computers. Superconducting amplifiers are a crucial component enabling accurate qubit state measurements.

Current quantum computers typically have around 100 qubits and require 10 to 20 amplifiers. Thus, a quantum computer with 10,000 qubits will require thousands of near-quantum-limited amplifiers of consistent quality. Near-quantum-limited means that the amplifiers add as little noise to the measurement as the laws of physics allow. Arctic Instruments is the only manufacturer already capable of supplying thousands of amplifiers of the required quality and consistency.

Unique facilities and industry connections give startups a competitive edge

Developing an innovation from lab prototype to a market-ready product requires not just deep technical expertise but also access to costly, specialised infrastructure that few start-ups can afford to invest in, such as cleanrooms and cryostats.

“VTT is quite unique in that we can start with a prototype and then scale it up to low-volume production. In Arctic Instruments’ case, we were also successful in establishing contacts with the potential customer base at an early stage,” says Jorden Senior, Research Team Leader, Quantum Computing Hardware at VTT.

He says that in addition to deploying the amplifier product to university labs, it was included in an actual use case, as part of Europe’s first 50-qubit superconducting quantum computer, launched in March 2025 in Finland.

“Arctic Instruments was also able to utilise our high-throughput characterisation facilities for carrying out testing and measurements. All in all, we helped them kickstart their operations and run the production line while the company was setting up their own offices,” Senior adds.

Key enablers: Expertise, infrastructure and market access

VTT has provided Arctic Instruments with:

• Unique expertise in superconducting and quantum technologies
• Cleanroom and production facilities
• Testing, characterisation and qualification equipment
• Connections to potential end users and industry networks.

Joonas Govenius, Co-founder and CEO of Arctic Instruments –and a former VTT researcher along with all the other founding partners – says that VTT’s focus on business projects is the most beneficial thing for startups.

“Cooperation with businesses and developing actual commercial prototypes are a priority at VTT, unlike in academic research. You get to see early on whether there is demand in the market for your innovation,” Govenius points out. He adds that VTT is a kind of acceleration lane for R&D.

“The extensive experience at VTT provides a shortcut for startups like us. If you attempted to develop the same capabilities in-house, it would take years.”

Scaling up and shaping Europe’s quantum future

In December 2024, Arctic Instruments announced it had raised EUR 2.35 million in funding for the research, development and commercialisation of its technology. According to Govenius, the company has reached a level of maturity where its capability to fabricate and test its amplifiers in volume is industry leading.

Looking ahead, the company is scaling its wafer production and growing in-house characterisation capabilities while maintaining the flexibility to tap into VTT’s specialist services when needed. Also, cooperation will continue as a part of an EU-funded consortium coordinated by VTT, focusing on the industrialisation of superconducting quantum technology.

“It’s good to have access to VTT’s infrastructure especially for tests and prototypes that need specialised and rarely used set-ups. It brings flexibility and helps us run certain development projects much faster,” Govenius concludes.