Polish AI and Quantum infrastructure in the spotlight at EuroHPC User Days 2026 in Dublin

Poland’s presence was particularly prominent during this year’s EuroHPC User Days in Dublin, specifically in a session dedicated to quantum technologies. A highlight of the event was the presentation of progress and upcoming milestones for the PIAST-Q project: a European ion-trapped quantum computer hosted at PCSS as part of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU). Dr. Krzysztof Kurowski, Coordinator of the EuroQCS-Poland project and Head of the Quantum Technologies Department at PCSS, attended the event and, together with partners from AQT (Alpine Quantum Technologies), presented the key capabilities of the PIAST-Q system to the audience. 

A pivotal moment of the presentation was the launch of PIAST-Q services directly via the EuroHPC JU platform. This means that European researchers, entrepreneurs, and the public sector gain direct access to advanced computing capabilities via a hybrid model (HPC + Quantum Computing). Under the Quantum Access pilot call, a total of 1,142 QPU hours were awarded across 47 approved proposals. The PIAST-Q quantum system allocated the largest share of resources, providing 412 QPU hours. PIAST-Q offers features such as all-to-all qubit connectivity, high gate fidelity, long coherence times, and support for quantum optimization, quantum chemistry, materials engineering, and quantum machine learning.

Representatives from PCSS presented the PIAST-AI Factory as well, showcasing the potential of Polish infrastructure for artificial intelligence development. They outlined solutions designed to meet the needs of science, business, and society, fostering innovation and new AI applications. The event offered an excellent opportunity for networking within the European HPC, Quantum, and AI communities and for exchanging insights on the future of computing infrastructure. Developed in collaboration with PCSS, Poznań University of Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the infrastructure will ultimately provide computing power based on over 1,500 modern GPUs, being a vital resource for stakeholders across business, academia, and society. 

The meeting in Dublin also provided a platform to present the QEC4QEA quantum center of excellence. This is one of two European Quantum Centers of Excellence (QEC) funded by EuroHPC JU, creating a comprehensive “one-stop shop” platform. The project bridges the worlds of academia and industry with providers of HPC infrastructure and quantum technologies. PCSS is a leader of one of five key quantum technology clusters in Europe (alongside Forschungszentrum Jülich, CEA, BSC, and CINECA). In total, the project brings together 19 academic and industrial partners from eight European countries. PCSS is also responsible for a federated platform providing access and training support to users interested in the application-level use of various types of quantum computers across Europe.