Spain adds third quantum computer to Barcelona Supercomputing Center in €9.8 million push

Spain Unveils Third Quantum Computer at Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Spain has added its third quantum computer to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), marking a significant milestone in Europe's push for technological independence in advanced computing 1

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. The €9.8 million project ($11.4 million) was funded jointly by the European Union and Spain's Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, with the system designed and built by Barcelona-based company Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech 2

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. This latest addition will be integrated into the MareNostrum 5 system, creating a hybrid infrastructure capable of combining classical computing with quantum computing and AI 1

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Analog System Expands Quantum Computing Capabilities

Unlike the two previously installed machines, the newest quantum computer is an analog quantum computer rather than a digital one 2

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. While digital quantum computers operate through sequences of logic gates and can run a wide array of quantum algorithms, analog systems map problems to quantum physical states and allow them to evolve over time 1

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. This makes analog quantum computers particularly suited to solving complex problems in physics and chemistry, though they cannot be adapted to run discrete algorithms like their digital counterparts 1

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. The complementary nature of these systems positions the BSC-CNS to tackle a broader range of computational challenges.

MareNostrum Ona Delivers Results for Research Projects

The quantum partition of the MareNostrum 5 system, known as MareNostrum Ona, has already demonstrated significant utility since its launch in February 2025 2

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. The first two digital quantum computers have clocked up 4,200 computing hours, supporting 53 research projects selected by the Spanish Supercomputing Network 1

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. All three quantum computers are housed in the historic chapel of Torre Girona, the same space that hosted the first four versions of the MareNostrum supercomputer between 2005 and 2023 2

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. This growing computational capacity enables researchers to explore applications in drug discovery, climate modeling, and other areas where quantum computing shows particular promise.

European Technological Sovereignty Takes Center Stage

The deployment reflects a strategic emphasis on European technological sovereignty, reducing dependence on third countries for critical infrastructure 2

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. Núria Montserrat, Catalan Minister for Research and Universities, emphasized that "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" 1

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. The new quantum computer will be integrated into the European quantum computing network promoted by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), which aims to strengthen the region's supercomputing capabilities [2](https://www.eurone ws.com/next/2026/05/28/spain-and-eu-launch-new-10-million-quantum-computer-in-barcelona). To date, EuroHPC JU has acquired six quantum computers distributed across different European countries, with three already inaugurated in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany 2

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. As private companies in the United States continue to lead quantum computing development, Europe's coordinated approach through initiatives like EuroHPC positions the region to maintain control over future technological infrastructure essential for economic competitiveness and national security.