Bologna (Italy) & Boston (USA) — 30 September 2025 - The National Research Centre for High Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing (ICSC) and QuEra Computing, a leader in neutral atom quantum platforms, announce a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of quantum computing in Italy.

Thanks to this agreement, researchers from universities, national laboratories and businesses will have direct access to Aquila, QuEra's 256-qubit quantum computer, accompanied by a dedicated mentoring program. The initiative combines ICSC's role in coordinating national expertise and infrastructure in the fields of High-Performance Computing and Quantum Computing with QuEra's cutting-edge technology, strengthening the country's ability to actively contribute to the global quantum ecosystem.

By combining cutting-edge hardware with expert guidance, the program helps teams move quickly from ideas to results, accelerating quantum research, building new skills, and strengthening Italy’s leadership in the global quantum ecosystem.

A Program Built for Impact

This initiative widens access to neutral-atom quantum computing for researchers across Italy, inviting participation from multiple disciplines and experience levels. By pairing technology with focused mentorship from QuEra scientists, it helps teams progress faster from promising ideas to credible results, while fostering collaboration across Italian institutions.

How It Works:

• Open, inclusive calls – ICSC will announce public calls; proposals are reviewed for relevance, feasibility, and expected impact.
• Onboarding that builds capability – Structured tutorials help participants progress from setup to running basic experiments.
• Targeted mentorship – Scheduled office hours with QuEra experts provide Q&A and support during implementation.

“Providing Italy’s research community with high level quantum computing capabilities is central to ICSC’s mission,” said Prof. Antonio Zoccoli, President of ICSC. “Together with QuEra, our research teams will be able to explore ambitious problems in physics, chemistry, optimization, and artificial intelligence, while developing the necessary skills and enabling Italy to play a leading role in the development of this strategic technology.”

“Italy’s thriving quantum ecosystem is gaining momentum,” said Yuval Boger, Chief Commercial Officer of QuEra. “By working with ICSC, we’re making powerful neutral-atom capabilities easier to access — and backing that access with mentoring from our scientists. This allows Italian teams to focus on ideas, results, and real-world value.”

“This collaboration lets Italian groups prototype quickly, test quantum workflows, and train young researchers on a leading platform for the quantum computing. We’ll prioritize projects with clear scientific or industrial impact and share methods with the broader community,” said Prof. Simone Montangero and Prof. Paolo Cremonesi, co-leads of the program focused to quantum computing at ICSC.