Presentation of the Basque Quantum project

• The Lehendakari, together with the General Deputies of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa and representatives of IMB, presents the Basque Quantum partnership
• The Basque Country is set to host the IBM Quantum System One quantum computer It becomes the sixth partner in an international quantum research partnership, led by IBM
• The new quantum centre, known as the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center, will be located in the future Ikerbasque building in Donostia
• The agreement with IBM and the different research projects and promotion of various infrastructures, will suppose an investment of more than 120 million euros

The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, together with the deputies general of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, the minister of Education Jokin Bildarratz, and IBM officials, presided this morning over the presentation ceremony of the Basque Quantum partnership. The project, promoted by the Basque Government, the three provincial councils and IBM, will develop a quantum technology research centre in the Basque Country. The Basque Country will thus host the IBM Quantum System One computer, the sixth quantum supercomputer in the world, linked to an international network promoted by IBM. It joins the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada and South Korea. The event was also attended by the ministers Pedro Azpiazu, Arantxa Tapia, Gotzone Sagardui and Olatz Garamendi.

During the event, the institutional representatives and IBM officials highlighted the value of an agreement that will enable the Basque Country to lead the world in research in one of the most strategic scientific fields.

The agreement, signed last week between IBM and the Ikerbasque Foundation, envisages an investment of 50.8 million euros, an amount contributed to Ikerbasque through the Basque Government’s Department of Education. This investment is in addition to other contributions made by the Provincial Councils to support research projects, as well as the construction of certain infrastructures –which are already being developed–, in order to meet research needs. In total, the Basque Quantum project foresees a direct investment of more than 120 million euros until 2028. Its most notable actions include:

• New Ikerbasque centre;
• New DIPC centre;
• New research laboratories;
• IBM-Euskadi Quantum Center;
• Programme for the attraction of international research projects and centres;
• Reinforcement of educational and talent attraction programmes;
• Boosting public and private innovation associated with quantum in Southern Europe.

Basque Quantum goals

The partnership between the Basque institutions and IBM aims to give impetus to technologies with a potential that is difficult to limit today. Located in the future Ikerbasque building, the IBM-Euskadi Basque Country Quantum Computational Center will be the epicentre of the project’s research activities.

Even before its operation, the partnership between the Basque Country and IBM has consolidated the Basque Country’s prestige on the international scientific scene.  Considered a High Innovation Region by the European Union and a Pole of Excellence, the high qualifications of its scientists have consolidated the Basque Country as a solid partner with high innovative value. The Basque Quantum project aims to consolidate this prestige, and to show itself to the international scene as a solid and reliable partner. In addition, the promotion of quantum technologies will generate a pool of research professionals who will lead this field.

The scientific project also aims to generate wealth, both in terms of knowledge and the creation and promotion of industries in the Basque Country. It is a priority objective to be able to coordinate the efforts of the public and private sectors to generate new windows of opportunity for the benefit of society as a whole.