QEC4QEA – Quantum Excellence Center for Quantum-Enhanced Applications is a pan-European research and development project aimed at creating an integrated center of excellence to support the development and application of quantum computing technologies in Europe.
The project, carried out under the Horizon EUROHPC-JU program, brings together 18 institutions from 9 countries, including leading European supercomputing centers, universities, research institutes, and technology companies. QEC4QEA’s key ambition is to create a “one-stop shop”—a comprehensive platform that will provide end users, from both the scientific and industrial communities, with access to the tools, services, infrastructure, and expertise necessary to develop and implement quantum-enabled applications.
The project’s main objective is to develop a set of reference applications covering fields such as quantum simulations, optimization, machine learning, post-quantum cryptography, satellite imaging, and space mission planning. The applications will be developed and made available as an open-source code library. This format will enable them to run on both quantum emulators and actual quantum computers of various architectures provided by the project partners. As part of QEC4QEA, a set of dedicated compilers and APIs will also be developed, which will facilitate the porting of applications to specific hardware systems available within the EuroHPC JU quantum infrastructure.
The project also aims to closely integrate traditional HPC systems with quantum technologies, enabling the development of hybrid computing solutions. The QEC4QEA organization is structured around five regional clusters centered on key European supercomputing centers. As part of the project, users will have access to computational resources located in Germany (FZJ), France (CEA), Italy (CINECA), Spain (BSC), and Poland and Lithuania (Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center — PCSS), including physical quantum computers and advanced quantum emulators. The cluster in Poland and Lithuania is formed by the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center, Adam Mickiewicz University, the Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Vilnius University.
The goal of the QEC4QEA project is to build a sustainable, open, and interoperable service environment that will enable the effective use of quantum computing resources and their integration with the infrastructure of classical HPC (High Performance Computing) systems in Europe.
QEC4QEA aims to create a so-called “one-stop shop”—a centralized access point to applications, tools, emulators, training, documentation, and expert support—that will remove existing barriers to the implementation of quantum technologies.
The QEC4QEA project encompasses a range of tasks that can be grouped into several key areas:
- development of benchmark applications and quantum-assisted simulations;
- utilization of integrated HPC and quantum computing resources;
- development of tools for quantum software engineering;
- building expertise, courses, and training;
- management of the federated ecosystem and sustainability of results.
In the QEC4QEA project, three Polish institutions play key roles in carrying out technical, scientific, and educational tasks. The Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center (PCSS), as the central node of Cluster E and the provider of the European quantum computer EuroQCS PIAST -Q based on trapped-ion technology, is responsible for integrating HPC infrastructure with the quantum system located in Poland, providing technical coordination of cluster activities, and supporting users in running hybrid classical-quantum applications, as well as co-developing software engineering tools and APIs.
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (UAM) focuses on the development of benchmark applications, particularly in the fields of quantum simulation and machine learning (QML), the creation of emulators, code validation, and educational activities such as training courses and workshops. The Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CFT PAN) contributes expert knowledge in the field of quantum information and technology to the project; it is responsible for developing computational models and algorithms, their theoretical analysis, and the evaluation of implementation quality, and it supports knowledge transfer and scientific collaboration within the consortium. The joint efforts of these three partners strengthen Poland’s contribution to the development of European infrastructure and expertise in the field of quantum applications.
The results of the QEC4QEA project will have both a technological and a socio-economic dimension.
Among the most important expected outcomes are:
- a ready-to-use set of quantum applications prepared for pilot implementations;
- a sustainable technology platform for integrating quantum and hybrid classical-quantum applications;
- an open repository of tools, documentation, and source code libraries;
- an educational program and a team of specialists in quantum computing, as well as increased accessibility to quantum technologies in Europe, including Poland.
Partners:
France:
- CEA – Commissariat à l’énergie atomique atomique et aux énergies alternatives,
- Qubit – Qubit Pharmaceuticals,
- MULT – Multiverse Computing SAS,
Germany:
- Fraunhofer CML – Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services Future8,
- Future8 – Future8 gGmbH,
- FZJ – Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH,
Italy:
- Cineca – Cineca Consorzio Interuniversitario,
- E4 – E4 Computer Engineering SPA,
- LINKS – Fondazione LINKS – Leading Innovation & Knowledge for Society,
- UniPd – Università degli Studi di Padova,
Lithuania:
Poland:
- AMU – Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu,
- CFT PAS – Centrum Fizyki Teoretycznej Polskiej Akademii Nauk,
- PCSS – Poznańskie Centrum superkomputerowo-Sieciowe,
Slovenia:
Spain:
- BSC CNS – Barcelona Supercomputing Center,
- CSIC – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas,
- ICFO – Institut de Ciències Fotòniques,
Turkey:
