Extending European quantum computing capacity to researchers in Norway
Published:
As part of the Q-NRI project awarded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN), Simula Research Laboratory will play a pivotal role by extending the Simula-hosted national research infrastructure eX3 into the quantum technology domain.
The funding is part of a landmark 43 million NOK investment in quantum research infrastructures by the RCN, aimed at ensuring Norway remains at the forefront of the rapidly advancing field of quantum science. This strategic initiative will provide Norwegian researchers with crucial access to powerful new tools by integrating them into established systems.
The project, titled 'Further Development of National Research Infrastructure for Quantum Technology Research (Q-NRI)', is coordinated by Sigma2, the organisation that manages Norway's national production-oriented e-infrastructure for research. The project's central goal is to integrate advanced quantum computing resources with the existing classical infrastructures hosted by Sigma2 and Simula, making these powerful hybrid systems accessible to researchers across the country.
Professor Are Magnus Bruaset said, “Simula has for several years hosted the experimental HPC system eX3, which has proven itself to be one of the most widely used national research infrastructures. Now, it is a very natural next step to use eX3 as a bridge to the VLQ, which is one of the six first European quantum computers established for research, delivered by the LUMI-Q consortium.”
Simula will contribute its expertise in high-performance computing, complex software systems, and innovation. The core Simula team for this initiative includes Professor Are Magnus Bruaset, Professor Shaukat Ali, and Chief Research Engineer Tore Larsen.
On the topic of technical opportunities of integrating novel quantum systems with established high-performance computing infrastructure:
“Revolutionary quantum applications require tools for developing and testing software on both quantum computer simulators and real quantum computers via classical high-performance computing systems. Q-NRI is a key step toward building such research infrastructures in Norway.”
Shaukat Ali, Simula Chief Research Scientist/Research Professor & Head of Department
By contributing to this extension, Simula not only advances its own research capabilities but also strengthens the entire Norwegian research ecosystem. This initiative provides a critical platform for fostering innovation and training the next generation of quantum experts.Furthermore, this six-month project represents a key step in future-proofing the nation’s scientific capabilities. This work will continue to evolve Norway’s national assets to stay competitive in the global technology landscape.
For a comprehensive overview of the national funding initiative, the Research Council of Norway has published further details: https://www.forskningsradet.no/nyheter/2025/43-millionar-kvanteteknologi/
Image of a cryostat at IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center. Credit: IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, March 2025.