IonQ expands European quantum partnership with QuantumBasel
IonQ is doubling down on Europe. The US-based quantum computing company has expanded its long-term partnership with QuantumBasel in Switzerland, turning the collaboration into a broader commercial and research engagement that runs through the end of the decade.
The extended agreement cements QuantumBasel as IonQ’s official Innovation Center in Europe and brings next-generation quantum systems to the uptownBasel innovation campus.
For eeNews Europe readers, this deal is a clear signal that quantum computing in Europe is moving beyond pilot projects toward enterprise deployment, backed by long-term investment, local infrastructure, and concrete industry use cases.
Expanding the partnership and the price tag
Under the new agreement, QuantumBasel gains ownership of its existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and secures ownership of IonQ’s upcoming Tempo system. With the extension, the total value of the partnership now exceeds $60 million, and IonQ’s on-site presence in Switzerland is locked in for another four years, through 2029.
IonQ positions QuantumBasel as a central access point for European industry, academia, startups, and research institutions seeking hands-on experience with enterprise-grade quantum hardware. The uptownBasel campus hosts the systems on site, allowing local users to access IonQ technology directly rather than relying solely on cloud-based services.
“Our extended partnership with QuantumBasel represents a cornerstone of IonQ’s global strategy,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. “QuantumBasel continues to be a critical innovation node for our company as we expand quantum adoption. We’re growing a quantum-ready ecosystem in Europe that is capable of driving progress in material science, defense, AI, life sciences, logistics, and beyond.”
Focus on AI and hybrid computing
Alongside hardware deployment, IonQ and QuantumBasel are expanding their joint research agenda. In particular, new collaborative workstreams will focus on optimizing large language models (LLMs) and developing hybrid quantum-classical techniques for advanced computing use cases.
These efforts aim to extract near-term commercial value from quantum technologies by improving AI model performance and exploring new algorithmic frameworks that combine classical and quantum approaches.
“We are excited about our partnership with IonQ to jointly explore the possibilities Quantum Computing offers today and in the future. The on-site system also serves as a catalyst for a vibrant community at uptownBasel,“ said Thomas Landolt, CEO of QuantumBasel.
IonQ will also expand its local footprint by adding technical and research staff in Switzerland to support system development and collaborative projects with European partners.
Tempo system and broader EU strategy
QuantumBasel’s next system, IonQ Tempo, is part of IonQ’s roadmap toward higher-performing, fault-tolerant quantum computers. As a result, the company expects these systems to support deeper quantum circuits and higher-fidelity operations, enabling applications in finance, materials science, drug discovery, and supply chain optimization. The overall partnership is expected to span four generations of IonQ systems.
The announcement builds on IonQ’s broader European expansion, including the opening of its first European Innovation Center at uptownBasel in December 2024, partnerships across the EU, acquisitions in the UK and Switzerland, and the establishment of IonQ Italia.
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