$60 Million Partnership Fuels Quantum Research at QuantumBasel

IonQ and QuantumBasel have expanded their partnership with a new agreement valued at over $60 million, solidifying QuantumBasel’s position as IonQ’s Innovation Center in Europe. This extended contract grants QuantumBasel ownership of an IonQ Forte Enterprise system and a next-generation IonQ Tempo system, extending IonQ’s on-site presence in Switzerland through 2029. Located at uptownBasel, Switzerland’s innovation campus, this collaboration serves as a hub for European institutions to explore practical quantum computing applications utilizing IonQ’s enterprise-grade systems and advance the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers.

IonQ and QuantumBasel Expanded Partnership

IonQ and QuantumBasel have expanded their partnership, solidifying QuantumBasel’s role as IonQ’s Innovation Center in Europe. This extended agreement, valued at over $60 million, continues IonQ’s on-site presence in Switzerland through 2029. QuantumBasel will now own both an existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and a next-generation IonQ Tempo system, furthering its ability to serve as a hub for European industry and research in exploring practical quantum computing applications.

The collaboration focuses on advancing quantum commercialization through collaborative research, including optimizing large language models (LLMs) and developing hybrid quantum-classical techniques. IonQ will be expanding its technical and research personnel at QuantumBasel to support system development and research. This partnership is expected to span four generations of IonQ’s systems, demonstrating a long-term commitment to innovation and accessibility.

QuantumBasel is Switzerland’s first commercial quantum computing hub, offering access to hardware from multiple providers including IonQ, IBM, and D-Wave. The expanded partnership aims to unlock near-term commercial value, particularly in areas like material science, defense, AI, and logistics. IonQ intends to deliver a quantum computer with 2 million qubits by 2030, and this collaboration supports that roadmap by advancing the use of higher-performing, fault-tolerant systems.

QuantumBasel: A European Innovation Hub

QuantumBasel serves as IonQ’s official Innovation Center in Europe, fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and research institutions. A recent expanded agreement—totaling over $60 million—secures QuantumBasel ownership of both an existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and a next-generation IonQ Tempo system, extending the partnership through 2029. This hub aims to explore practical quantum computing applications and provide access to IonQ’s latest enterprise-grade systems for European entities.

QuantumBasel distinguishes itself as Switzerland’s first commercial quantum computing hub, offering access to hardware from multiple providers including IBM, D-Wave, and IonQ. The center’s team of quantum and data scientists supports companies, conducts projects in quantum computing and AI, and collaborates with universities. It emphasizes technological neutrality and aims to enable innovation across sectors like industrial production, logistics, finance, and life sciences.

The partnership between IonQ and QuantumBasel is expected to span four generations of IonQ systems. Beyond hardware access, collaborative research is expanding to optimize large language models (LLMs) and develop hybrid quantum-classical techniques. This work intends to unlock near-term commercial value from quantum technologies, potentially enhancing AI performance and advancing applications in areas like materials science, drug discovery, and financial modeling.

Advancements in IonQ Quantum Computing Systems

IonQ has expanded its partnership with QuantumBasel, solidifying the location as IonQ’s Innovation Center in Europe. This extended agreement, valued at over $60 million, will continue through 2029 and includes ownership of both an IonQ Forte Enterprise system and a next-generation Tempo system for QuantumBasel. The partnership aims to foster quantum computing exploration for European industry, academia, and research institutions, driving progress across sectors like material science and AI.

QuantumBasel and IonQ are collaborating on research to optimize large language models (LLMs) and develop hybrid quantum-classical techniques. This work intends to unlock near-term commercial value by enhancing AI performance and exploring new algorithmic frameworks. IonQ plans to expand its technical and research personnel at the site, supporting both system development and collaborative research spanning four generations of IonQ systems.

IonQ achieved a world record in 2025 with 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity and aims to deliver a quantum computer with 2 million qubits by 2030. The company’s advancements, including systems like IonQ Forte and IonQ Forte Enterprise, have reportedly achieved 20x performance results for customers and partners like Amazon Web Services and AstraZeneca. IonQ is also focused on advancements in quantum networking.

Collaborative Research and Future Applications

The expanded partnership between IonQ and QuantumBasel solidifies the latter as IonQ’s Innovation Center in Europe. This collaboration, valued at over $60 million, extends through 2029 and includes QuantumBasel’s ownership of both an IonQ Forte Enterprise system and a next-generation IonQ Tempo system. QuantumBasel serves as a hub for European industry, academia, and research institutions, exploring practical quantum computing applications and accessing IonQ’s latest technology.

Collaborative research efforts are expanding to focus on optimizing large language models (LLMs) and developing hybrid quantum-classical techniques. These efforts aim to unlock near-term commercial value from quantum technologies, specifically by enhancing AI model performance and exploring new algorithmic frameworks. IonQ will expand its technical and research personnel at QuantumBasel to support both system development and collaborative research spanning four generations of IonQ systems.

This partnership is expected to advance quantum computing across critical sectors including finance, materials science, drug discovery, and supply chain optimization. IonQ’s goal is to deliver a quantum computer with 2 million qubits by 2030, and QuantumBasel‘s access to IonQ’s systems—including the advanced IonQ Tempo—will support deeper quantum circuits and higher-fidelity operations, driving innovation for enterprises, universities, and research institutes throughout Europe.