US firm IBM has opened its first quantum data centre outside of the US near Stuttgart in Germany, enabling European companies and research institutes to access its quantum computing systems.

The new European IBM Quantum Data Center includes two utility-scale IBM Quantum Eagle-based systems. IBM claims these systems are capable of performing computations beyond the brute-force simulation capabilities of classical computers.

The centre will also soon feature a new IBM Quantum Heron-based system. First introduced at the end of last year, IBM Heron is the company’s highest performing quantum chip. It offers reduced error rates, 16 times better performance and a 25-fold increase in speed over 2022 IBM quantum systems.

The Quantum advantage, which companies like IBM refer to, is the point at which quantum computers can solve practical, real-world problems more efficiently than classical computers.

While still in its early stages, scientists believe that with quantum mechanics having the potential...