IQM is growing! IQM expands to Germany for quantum hardware-software co-design under the lead of Enrique Solano in Munich

With the expansion move to Munich, we are tapping into another hotspot for quantum computing in addition to Helsinki area where our headquarters are located. We are looking forward to collaborating closely with the local quantum experts from academia and industry. Our technical goals are to create a co-design hub that tightens the interaction between quantum hardware and quantum software development. In particular, IQM Germany will develop an original co-design approach where quantum software breathes through suitably designed quantum hardware and novel architectures. The novel co-design model allows us to still collaborate closely with our current and future software partners throughout Europe to accelerate the development of useful quantum solutions for specialized applications.

We are happy to welcome Prof. Enrique Solano to lead the Munich operations as CEO of IQM Germany. Enrique has created substantial groundbreaking work in quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies. He joins IQM from his leading positions in two quantum centers in Bilbao, Spain, and Shanghai, China.

Munich was the obvious location for our new facility since for Germany and Bavaria, in particular, building a quantum computer is a strategic priority. The local commitment has produced an ecosystem of quantum innovation, with stakeholders from industry, academia and the investor community collectively focused on advancing Europe’s quantum leadership.

The new facility marks our first expansion outside of Finland. Since our debut last July, the IQM team has ramped up fast to build an infrastructure for production of scalable quantum devices efficiently. At our operations lab in Helsinki area, qubit samples are already being produced on a wafer scale every week. The devices are benchmarked onsite for uniformity, accuracy, quality, and other imperatives for real-world applications. The high-throughput/fast-feedback model allows IQM technologists to constantly monitor the quality of the fabrication processes, and thus ensure high-quality quantum processors.

At present, our team of experts drives the business in four core areas: fabrication, scalable electronics, software, and systems integration. The new team in Munich will extend these efforts to design special-purpose processors for near-term algorithms, while also focusing on IP development. IQM’s nearly three dozen employees, 25 hold PhDs, almost all in physics, and specifically quantum computing.

With his Peruvian-Spanish nationality, Enrique adds new weight to the multi-national IQM team with his record of leadership in academic and entrepreneurial ecosystems. His previous roles include Distinguished Professor and Director at QuArtist – Quantum Artificial Intelligence for Science and Technology at Shanghai University in China, as well as similar positions at the International Center of Quantum Computing and Quantum Technologies at the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain. He obtained his PhD in physics from the Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

The hardware-software co-design model is different and exciting and brings a design-thinking mindset to quantum computing,” said Enrique recently.

It lets us develop and optimize next-generation chip architectures for specific applications and implement quantum computing algorithms for industries with entrenched operations in Germany and throughout Europe. For example, financial models and predictions for car manufacturers, as well as models for drug design, material design, aerodynamics, nuclear reactions, biological systems, intelligent devices, use-cases for smart cities, and much more. I’m thrilled to join the company.”

We are looking forward to exciting times for the growing IQM family all over the world!

Jan Goetz,
CEO IQM