Spain has unveiled its third quantum computer at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), which will be integrated into the MareNostrum 5 system. Funded by the European Union and Spain’s Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, the € 9.8 million (US$11.4 M) quantum computer was designed and built by Barcelona-based company Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech. 

Even as the world wonders about the real impact of artificial intelligence (AI) through services like ChatGPT and Claude, there is another wave of superior computing that is destined to our shores. Quantum computing uses quantum bits, or qubits, which can store multiple values simultaneously, rather than the 0 or 1 of classical computing. 

With multiple value stores, qubits can process large calculations in parallel in a fraction of the time that a classical computer or even a supercomputer would take, making it a much-awaited technology. Experts believe that quantum computing could help us solve problems like climate change, drug discovery and much more but much work remains on making it mainstream. 

Technology sovereignity

Much like the recent surge in AI, efforts to make quantum computing mainstream have been led by US-based private companies. Developing and supporting European-built quantum computers can help ensure the region maintains sovereignty over future technology.

“With technologies developed here, in the supercomputer, backed by Catalan and Spanish public policies and major partnerships with Europe, we are able to produce our own European technology in pursuit of strategic autonomy so as not to depend on third countries,” said Núria Montserrat, Catalan Minister for Research and Universities in a press release. 

The region is working on technological sovereignty through initiatives like the European High Performance Computing (EuroHPC), where it is strengthening its supercomputing capabilities, while sites like the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), focus on quantum computing infrastructure. 

Third quantum computer

The newest machine at BSC is the third quantum computer that the center as added to the MareNostrum 5 system. Housed at the famous chapel of Torre Girona that was home to the previous four iterations of MareNostrum systems, the latest quantum computer is analog in nature, as opposed to digital ones that were added before. 

Digital quantum computers work much like classical computers via sequences of logic gates. This allows them to be highly flexible and programmable. These can run wide array of quantum algorithms but accumulate noise quickly and therefore need active error correction. 

Analog quantum computers, on the other hand, map problems to quantum physical states and allow them to evolve over time. These systems are more suited to solving problems of physics and chemistry but cannot be adopted to run discrete algorithms. 

The first two digital quantum computers at the BSC make up MareNostrum Ona or the quantum part of the MareNostrum 5 system. Prior to the addition of the analog quantum computer, Ona has clocked up 4,200 computing hours since its launch in February 2025. This computing time was utilised by 53 research projects selected by the Spanish Supercomputing Network. 

The MareNostrum 5 system is capable of combining classical computing with quantum computing and AI. The addition of its third quantum computer, marks a major milestone for Spanish and European tech ecosystem as it looks to lead a new era of technology without relying on other nations for key infrastructure. 

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