Switzerland will soon have IBM's first quantum computer, as the "Quantum System Two" device is scheduled to be installed by the end of 2026 at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano.
It is reported that IBM and Lockheed Martin, through a compensatory agreement with armasuisse, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement of Switzerland, will launch a quantum innovation centre at ETH Zurich so that Swiss researchers, companies and startups have direct access to advanced quantum hardware and knowledge.
Accordingly, IBM will operate this device, which runs on the company's "Nighthawk" processor, while ETH Zurich will provide the infrastructure, technical expertise and access for Swiss universities and industry.
The system can serve as a dedicated platform for developing quantum algorithms and testing applications in chemistry, materials science, optimization and financial services.
Joël Mesot, president of ETH Zurich, says Switzerland will gain the essential research infrastructure with this plan, enabling the advancement of this emerging technology and the training of the specialists it requires.
It is worth noting that this project expands the previous collaboration between IBM and Lockheed Martin, and the two companies will focus with Swiss academic institutions on quantum sensing for navigation and improving additive manufacturing of metal alloys.
According to ITNA and citing Interesting Engineering, Dr Craig Martell, Lockheed Martin's vice president and chief technology officer, adds that this project expands the strategic relationship between the two companies in the fields of quantum and artificial intelligence and places Switzerland at the forefront of these critical technologies.
Alessandro Curioni, vice president of algorithms and applications research at IBM and director of the Zurich Research Laboratory, also states that this collaboration enables direct access for Swiss universities and industry to first-rate quantum hardware and software.