IonQ expands European quantum partnership with QuantumBasel

IonQ is deepening its European footprint, expanding its long-term alliance with Switzerland’s QuantumBasel into a broader commercial and research partnership that runs through 2029. The deal designates QuantumBasel as IonQ’s official European Innovation Center and brings next-generation quantum systems to the uptownBasel innovation campus. With the extension, the engagement is now valued at more than $60 million.

From pilots to real-world deployment

The move signals a maturation of Europe’s quantum computing landscape. Instead of limiting access to cloud-based pilots, the collaboration prioritizes on-site, enterprise-grade systems and a growing local ecosystem—key ingredients for turning proofs of concept into production-grade use cases across industry and academia.

What the extended agreement includes

• Ownership transfer of QuantumBasel’s existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system.
• Ownership of IonQ’s upcoming Tempo system, part of the company’s roadmap toward higher-performing, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
• On-site deployment at the uptownBasel campus, giving European users direct access to hardware without relying solely on cloud services.
• A multi-year commitment through 2029, locking in IonQ’s presence in Switzerland and expanding local technical and research staffing.
• A roadmap spanning four generations of IonQ systems, with expectations for deeper circuits and higher-fidelity operations over time.

“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.”

R&D agenda: AI, LLMs, and hybrid quantum-classical

Beyond hardware, the partners are expanding joint research to extract near-term value from quantum technologies. Priority workstreams include:

• Optimizing large language models (LLMs) and improving AI model performance.
• Developing hybrid quantum-classical techniques tailored to advanced computing workloads.

The goal is to explore algorithmic frameworks and co-processing models where quantum systems can augment classical infrastructure—accelerating workflows in areas such as materials discovery, finance, life sciences, and supply chain optimization.

“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.

Why it matters for Europe

By positioning QuantumBasel as a central access point for industry, academia, startups, and researchers, IonQ is creating a hands-on pathway to enterprise-grade quantum hardware. On-site access can shorten iteration cycles, promote skills development, and reduce the latency and logistical hurdles associated with purely remote usage. Coupled with local staffing and a pipeline of next-gen systems, the collaboration aims to accelerate commercial adoption and deepen technical expertise within the region.

Tempo and the path to fault tolerance

QuantumBasel’s next system, IonQ Tempo, is designed to support higher depth circuits and improved fidelity—capabilities expected to unlock more complex applications. As IonQ advances along its roadmap, successive system generations are intended to push performance toward fault-tolerant computing, a threshold necessary for scaling real-world, mission-critical workloads in areas like drug discovery, risk modeling, and logistics optimization.

Part of a broader European expansion

The announcement builds on IonQ’s wider European strategy. In December 2024, the company opened its first European Innovation Center at uptownBasel, and it has since expanded through partnerships across the EU, acquisitions in the UK and Switzerland, and the establishment of IonQ Italia. The bolstered collaboration with QuantumBasel consolidates that momentum, anchoring a long-term presence and accelerating the development of a quantum-ready ecosystem on the continent.

With new systems, local expertise, and a research agenda that targets near-term impact, the expanded partnership aims to move European quantum computing from promising experiments to durable, enterprise-grade deployments.