On March 13, 2020, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and IBM formally signed a cooperation agreement to advance quantum computing in Germany. Under the agreement, an IBM Quantum System One would be installed at an IBM facility in Ehningen near Stuttgart, making it the first such system outside the United States and the first in Europe. The system was scheduled to go into operation in early 2021, according to the Fraunhofer announcement.
Under the terms, companies and research institutions would access IBM quantum computers through a nationwide Fraunhofer Competence Network for Quantum Computing. Immediate cloud access to IBM’s quantum systems in New York became available from April 1, 2020. The state of Baden-Württemberg committed up to €40 million to support the initiative through 2024.
Helge Braun, Head of the Federal Chancellery, said the installation “marks an important step toward the further establishment of an internationally recognizable ecosystem in the field of quantum technology.” All data processed on the German-based system would remain in Germany under German data protection law.