On October 26, 2021, Spain’s Council of Ministers approved Royal Decree 936/2021, authorizing a direct grant of €22 million (~$26 million) as the first phase of the Quantum Spain project. The Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, Carme Artigas, said total investment was expected to reach €60 million (~$70 million) over three years through complementary European initiatives.
The project, framed within the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (ENIA) and the Spain Digital 2025 Agenda, was designed to establish a quantum computing ecosystem serving researchers, companies, and public entities. The Spanish Supercomputing Network (RES), comprising 14 nodes across the country, was designated to channel the subsidy. More than 25 research centers across 14 autonomous communities were slated to participate.
The initiative set out four pillars: deploying a high-performance quantum computer, developing useful quantum algorithms for real-world problems, creating a cloud-based remote access system for industry and the public sector, and establishing a training program to build capacity among potential users across all RES nodes. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation led the project through the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.