IBM and Lockheed Martin Announce Swiss Quantum Innovation Hub at ETH Zurich

IBM and Lockheed Martin, through an offset agreement with armasuisse, Switzerland's Federal Office for Defence Procurement, have established a hub for quantum innovation at ETH Zurich, a prominent public research university. The new hub will host the country's first IBM Quantum System Two at the Swiss National Supercomputing Center in Lugano.

IBM will operate the system, which will run on an IBM Quantum Nighthawk, the company's most advanced quantum processor to date. ETH Zurich will provide expertise, resources, and technology to Swiss industries, startups, and academic institutions, including access to the quantum computer itself. Its deployment is expected to help spur development of new algorithms, technical breakthroughs, and industrial applications, while also supporting broader efforts to build up Switzerland's quantum workforce and talent pipeline. The project also extends the ongoing strategic collaboration between Lockheed Martin and IBM, combining Lockheed Martin's work in quantum sensing and additive manufacturing with IBM's expertise in quantum computing and AI.

Dr. Craig Martell, vice president and chief technology officer at Lockheed Martin, said Switzerland is rightly recognized as a hub for global innovation, and that Lockheed Martin is proud of its long history of technical collaboration in the country. He said the project extends the strategic relationship between Lockheed Martin and IBM in quantum and AI, while positioning Switzerland as a leader in these fields, providing resources and expertise, developing skills, and enabling joint research across the country's commercial, defense, and academic communities.

Alessandro Curioni, vice president of algorithms and applications at IBM Research and director of IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory, said IBM has collaborated with Swiss institutions for nearly 100 years, and that the company's Zurich lab has led major technology breakthroughs and been part of the country's science ecosystem for decades. He said IBM is excited to put world-class quantum hardware, software, and expertise directly into the hands of Switzerland's academic institutions and industries as the collaboration continues.

Joël Mesot, president of ETH Zurich, said Switzerland will gain access to essential research infrastructure that will let the country further advance exploration of this emerging technology and train the talent needed to support it, emphasizing the opportunities the new quantum computer will create.

Organizations that join the innovation hub through ETH Zurich will get immediate access to these resources, along with IBM's broader fleet of quantum computers available through the cloud. Once the dedicated system is deployed, expected by the end of 2026, ETH Zurich will also provide organizations access to Switzerland's own dedicated IBM Quantum System Two. These capabilities are meant to let Switzerland's innovation community accelerate scientific and industrial research and develop new applications across fields including chemistry, materials science, optimization, and financial services, areas where IBM says its quantum computers are already delivering practical value globally.

As part of the collaboration, IBM and Lockheed Martin also have two planned joint development projects: exploring quantum sensing applications for navigation, and improving additive manufacturing of metallic alloys. These projects complement ongoing work between the two companies across a range of advanced technologies focused on aerospace and defense innovation.

This initiative builds on a longstanding collaboration between IBM and ETH Zurich, including a recently launched 10-year effort focused on advancing foundational algorithmic research. The broader quantum education and workforce development effort will also give the Swiss ecosystem access to the IBM Quantum Network and IBM Quantum Platform's learning resources, including coursework, certifications, and workshops, along with support for events such as hackathons, conferences, and partner forums.