In Ostrava, the Czech Republic’s first quantum computer has been ceremonially launched. The system, known as VLQ, is housed at the IT4Innovations Supercomputing Centre and forms part of a European infrastructure for high-performance computing and quantum research.
The ceremonial launch took place at the Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TUO), attended by numerous high-ranking guests from politics, science and diplomacy, underlining the importance of this milestone, which places Czechia firmly on the map of European quantum research.
The system, named VLQ, is installed at the national supercomputing centre IT4Innovations. It was developed within the European consortium LUMI-Q, which includes 13 partners from eight countries – among them Czechia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. The project was jointly funded by the European EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the LUMI-Q partners, with total costs amounting to around five million euros.
“This step represents a historic moment not only for our university but also for Ostrava – the city will go down in history as the location of the Czech Republic’s first quantum computer,” said university rector Igor Ivan.
VLQ is primarily intended to advance research – from the development of new medicines and materials to the optimisation of traffic flows, as well as applications in energy forecasting, security and defence.
The computer does not operate in isolation but, like other EuroHPC JU quantum computers, is integrated into the European high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. In Ostrava, it is directly linked to the Karolina supercomputer, allowing classical and quantum-based calculations to be combined.
Technically, the system features 24 superconducting qubits arranged in a special star-shaped topology. This architecture reduces the number of so-called “swap operations” and thus increases computational efficiency. The machine was supplied by Finnish company IQM Quantum Computers.
In order for the quantum chip to function, it must be cooled to an extremely low temperature: just 0.01 Kelvin above absolute zero – colder than outer space. This is achieved by a specially designed cryostat, whose gleaming golden form resembles a giant chandelier and weighs around 300 kilograms.
The chip itself consumes very little energy, measured in kilowatt-hours. Most of the power required goes into cooling – though even this is far below the energy demands of conventional supercomputers.
EuroHPC Director Anders Jensen highlighted the project’s pan-European character in his address: “With VLQ, Europe is taking a decisive step towards building a cutting-edge infrastructure for quantum computing. We are combining the power of supercomputers with state-of-the-art quantum technology, creating tools that will enable previously unimaginable solutions.”
From the end of 2025, the computer is expected to be available for research projects, businesses and the public sector across Europe.
