LUMI AI Factory advances toward Europe’s first superconducting quantum computer with logical qubits

LUMI-IQ quantum computer brings error-corrected logical qubits to the LUMI AI Factory, marking an important step toward more reliable and useful quantum computing. The quantum computer will be integrated with the high-performance computing and AI resources of the LUMI AI Factory, creating a unique environment for hybrid HPC, AI, and quantum computing. LUMI-IQ will be delivered and upgraded in stages between 2027 and 2029, allowing users across Europe to benefit from advances in quantum error correction as the technology develops.

The LUMI AI Factory will become home to Europe’s first superconducting quantum computer designed from the start to operate with logical qubits, opening new possibilities for research at the intersection of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.

The quantum computer, LUMI-IQ, will be hosted by CSC – IT Center for Science in Kajaani, Finland, and integrated into the LUMI AI Factory computing environment. Supplied by IQM Quantum Computers, the system will be delivered and upgraded in stages between 2027 and 2029.

LUMI-IQ is an integral part of the wider LUMI AI Factory initiative. The quantum computer is jointly funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the participating countries Finland, Czechia, Norway, and Poland.

From physical to logical qubits: towards more reliable quantum computing

Today’s quantum computers rely primarily on physical qubits, which are highly sensitive to disturbances and errors. Logical qubits use quantum error correction to combine several physical qubits into a more reliable unit of computation. This increased reliability is an essential step toward running many of the longer and more complex calculations needed for practical quantum applications.

The first IQM Halocene H4 system, with 150 physical qubits and initial quantum error correction capabilities, will be installed in 2027. Upgrades in 2028 will improve error correction and the reliability of logical qubits. A final upgrade to IQM’s Halocene H5 system will follow in 2029, bringing even more advanced logical-qubit capabilities. The phased approach will allow users to gain practical experience with logical-qubit computing as the technology develops.

Combining supercomputing, AI, and quantum computing

LUMI-IQ will be tightly integrated with the LUMI AI Factory’s classical computing resources. In hybrid workflows, each technology can be used for the parts of a problem to which it is best suited: supercomputers for large-scale simulations and data processing, AI for analyzing data and optimizing complex workflows, and quantum computing for computational tasks where quantum methods offer new possibilities. This combination gives European researchers an opportunity to investigate not only quantum algorithms themselves, but how quantum computing can become a practical component of future scientific and industrial computing workflows.

– Owning an upgradeable quantum computer lets CSC and the LUMI AI Factory integrate the system into their own AI and HPC infrastructure. That’s what lets a real ecosystem grow: researchers building on infrastructure they control, inside one of the most capable computing environments anywhere, said Jan Goetz, CEO and Co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers.

– That kind of ownership is exactly what Europe needs right now — not just access to quantum computing, but the ability to shape its direction, build local expertise, and push the frontiers of advanced computing, he continued.

By bringing emerging quantum capabilities alongside some of Europe’s most advanced AI and supercomputing resources, LUMI-IQ will help build European expertise in quantum technologies and explore where increasingly reliable quantum computing can create genuine scientific and industrial value.

– The greatest potential lies in combining the complementary strengths of AI, high-performance computing, and quantum computing. Logical qubits make quantum calculations more reliable, while AI and HPC provide the scale, data processing and orchestration needed around them. The LUMI AI Factory allows European researchers to develop innovative hybrid approaches in a world-class computing environment, said Kimmo Koski, Managing Director of CSC – IT Center for Science.

Media requests:

Pekka Manninen, Director of LUMI AI Factory, CSC. email: pekka.manninen@csc.fi, tel. +358 50 381 2831

Mikael Johansson, Manager of Quantum Technologies, CSC, email: mikael.johansson@csc.fi, tel. +358 40 7526 291

media@lumi-supercomputer.eu

Image on top: Mikael Kanerva, CSC