ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) announced on May 3, 2021, the establishment of a joint Quantum Computing Hub. According to the ETH Zurich press release, the university is providing CHF 32 million (~USD 35 million) for the center, which will host around 30 researchers.
Located on the PSI campus in Villigen, Canton of Aargau, the hub pursues research in two technology areas: superconducting circuits and ion traps. ETH professors Andreas Wallraff and Jonathan Home lead the research teams. PSI contributes expertise in cryo-electronics, nanofabrication, and precision measurement methods from its large-scale research facilities. An existing building on the PSI campus was converted specifically for quantum computer research.
Detlef Gunther, Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich, stated that the cooperation with PSI would enable ETH to further expand its position in quantum-computing engineering. Quantum computers developed in the hub will be made available to researchers across ETH departments, providing a testbed for scaling systems beyond the 17-qubit devices then operated at the university.