The MareNostrum 5 supercomputer is now one of the first globally to integrate a triad of computing modalities: traditional classical computing partitions, digital quantum computers developed under the Quantum Spain project and SEDIA, and the newly introduced analog quantum machine. This convergence of technologies is housed within the architecturally iconic Torre Girona chapel, which after extensive renovation now balances its neoclassical heritage with ultra-modern quantum computing hardware. This harmonious blend of historical and cutting-edge technology embodies the transformational leap MareNostrum 5 represents for scientific computation in Europe, setting a powerful precedent for future hybrid computational infrastructures.

Integration into the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) places this quantum system at the forefront of continental efforts to build a robust quantum computing infrastructure. The EuroHPC JU operates a network of six procured quantum computers distributed across Europe, with operational units in Poland, Czechia, Germany, and France already launched. EuroQCS-Spain enriches this network and aligns perfectly with the European Quantum Strategy, which has ambitious goals to position Europe as a global leader in quantum technologies by 2030. Central to this strategy is enhancing technological sovereignty, driving industrial competitiveness, and ensuring the security of critical infrastructures through homegrown quantum innovation.

The project’s financial architecture is notable, with an overall investment of approximately €9.8 million shared between the EuroHPC JU and Spanish governmental bodies. The Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Administration, via SEDIA, has contributed €4.8 million towards this endeavor. The lion’s share of funding, about €8.5 million, was allocated to the physical installation and development of the quantum computers, balanced with integration efforts to synergize the quantum and classical components. Additionally, a cooperative funding umbrella includes a contribution from Portugal, underscoring the pan-European collaboration underpinning this initiative.

After months of meticulous renovations, the once-sacred Torre Girona chapel now stands as a beacon of technological innovation. The space accommodates the three quantum machines that constitute MareNostrum Ona, covering roughly one-third of the chapel’s area. The remainder of the chapel has been adapted to enhance the artificial intelligence capabilities embedded within MareNostrum 5’s classical computing framework. This architectural and functional symbiosis not only promotes scientific progress but also offers an evocative juxtaposition of history and futuristic technology to visitors and researchers alike.

The formal presentation of the new quantum computer at the Torre Girona chapel was a distinguished event, attended by prominent figures from academia, government, and industry. Mateo Valero, Director of BSC, Francesc Torres, Rector Magnificus of UPC, María González Veracruz, Secretary of State for Digitization and AI, alongside other notable dignitaries from Spain and the European Commission, underscored the significance of this scientific milestone. Their presence highlighted the collaborative, interdisciplinary, and multinational nature of the quantum computing leadership evolving within Europe.

Since its inauguration in February 2025, MareNostrum Ona’s quantum partition has established itself as an operational powerhouse, amassing over 4,200 computing hours distributed across 53 diverse research projects. These projects have been facilitated through official calls within the Spanish Supercomputing Network (RES), launched over the past year, reflecting both the growing demand for quantum resources and the infrastructure’s maturity. This robust utilization exemplifies the quantum platform’s readiness to support cutting-edge research applications spanning multiple disciplines.

A fundamental differentiator of the new system is its exclusive use of 100% European technology. The entire design and development lifecycle—from the conception of the quantum chip to the creation of essential programming software—was carried out domestically by the Catalan company Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech in collaboration with Do It Now. Only the physical manufacturing of the chip, executed in Gothenburg, Sweden, was outsourced, ensuring that the core intellectual property remains rooted in European expertise. This achievement not only strengthens regional technological ecosystems but also advances Europe’s quest for technological sovereignty and lessens dependence on international supply lines.

MareNostrum Ona’s quantum computing architecture is unique in combining two digital quantum machines with a newly incorporated analog quantum computer, all leveraging superconducting qubit technologies. The digital quantum units employ Transmon qubits, which manipulate quantum information using discrete, time-specific pulsed operations. In contrast, the newly installed analog quantum system, based on Fluxonium qubits, operates with continuous modulation, representing a fundamentally different approach to information processing. This analog technique is gaining attention for its potential efficiency in tackling specific classes of problems that are dynamically evolving or less suited to stepwise digital computation.

Understanding the distinction between digital and analog quantum computing is critical to appreciating the potential of this new system. While digital quantum computers function akin to ascending a staircase, where information is manipulated in distinct increments or pulses, analog quantum machines resemble traversing a ramp—processing information continuously and fluidly. This difference may seem subtle but has significant implications for the types of computational problems each method can address. Digital quantum systems excel at discrete mathematical problem-solving and cryptographic algorithms, whereas analog quantum devices show promise in optimization, quantum machine learning, and complex AI model training by simulating evolving physical systems more naturally.

By embracing this hybrid quantum computing paradigm, BSC equips itself with a versatile technological toolkit capable of addressing a broader spectrum of scientific and industrial challenges. This dual approach leverages the respective strengths of both digital and analog quantum processing, facilitating innovative solutions that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with a singular approach. As a result, MareNostrum 5’s MareNostrum Ona subsystem serves not just as a research platform but as a testbed for quantum hybridization strategies that could drive transformative progress across quantum computing applications throughout Europe.

This milestone also demonstrates the catalytic role supercomputing centers can play in accelerating quantum technology adoption and maturation. BSC’s successful integration of quantum computers alongside classical HPC resources marks an important blueprint for future infrastructures aiming to harness quantum advantage in a practical and scalable manner. As quantum computing technologies continue to evolve, such hybrid systems will become indispensable for advancing scientific discovery, technological innovation, and competitive industry applications, ensuring Europe’s leadership in the quantum era.

In conclusion, Barcelona Supercomputing Center’s inauguration of the EuroQCS-Spain quantum computer signifies a landmark achievement in the European quest for quantum technological sovereignty. This analog quantum machine enriches the established digital quantum framework of MareNostrum Ona, driving forward cutting-edge research and industry applications while reinforcing Europe’s position at the global quantum technology frontier. Situated within the historic Torre Girona chapel, this fusion of heritage and high technology captures the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and ambition that will define the next decade of quantum computing progress.

Subject of Research: Quantum computing integration in hybrid classical-quantum supercomputing systems.

Article Title: Barcelona Supercomputing Center Unveils EuroQCS-Spain: Europe’s First Hybrid Analog-Digital Quantum Computer.

News Publication Date: Not explicitly provided in the content; the inauguration event took place in early 2025.

Web References:

• BSC Presents the First Quantum Computer in Spain Developed with 100% European Technology
• European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU)
• Procured Quantum Computers on EuroHPC JU site
• European Quantum Strategy

Image Credits: Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Keywords: Hybrid Quantum Computing, Supercomputing, Analog Quantum Computer, Digital Quantum Computer, Fluxonium Qubits, Transmon Qubits, Quantum Technology Sovereignty, European Quantum Strategy, MareNostrum 5, MareNostrum Ona, Quantum Machine Learning, Quantum Processors, Quantum Research, HPC.

Leveraging direct collaboration with Mexico’s National Seismological Service (SSN), BSC scientists will input real seismic parameters such as hypocenter coordinates and earthquake magnitude obtained from live seismic alerts. These data fuel sophisticated computational models that generate expansive maps highlighting the magnitude and spatial distribution of ground shaking. Unlike conventional seismic alert systems that offer rapid but generalized warnings, this approach employs physics-driven simulations to yield granular, location-specific predictions about damage likelihood. The ability to pinpoint vulnerable regions shortly after an earthquake promises transformative benefits for civil protection teams, enabling faster deployment and more targeted rescue operations.

Marisol Monterrubio Velasco, the Mexican researcher leading the initiative at BSC, emphasizes the critical role this experiment plays in validating urgent computing workflows developed at the center. “Testing these protocols in real conditions establishes their viability for operational use,” Monterrubio explains. “Our work could become instrumental in delivering rapid scientific guidance during crises, where every minute can save lives.” This simulation exercise, coordinated by the Mexican government alongside UNAM’s Institute of Geophysics and the SSN, recreates a scenario reminiscent of the catastrophic 1985 Michoacán earthquake, an 8.1 magnitude event that caused massive devastation, including thousands of fatalities and widespread homelessness.

As part of an integrated national preparedness strategy, Mexico will also activate its mobile alert system during the drill, simultaneously broadcasting emergency messages to over 80 million phones nationwide. Audible alarms will sound prompting residents to evacuate buildings and move to designated safe zones, mirroring actual emergency protocols. This concerted simulation of alerts and scientific modeling marks a considerable leap forward in harmonizing technological advances with public safety infrastructure in earthquake-prone regions.

The MareNostrum 5 supercomputer’s urgent computing capacity forms the backbone of this innovative exercise. Researchers will gain priority access to 55 GPU nodes dedicated exclusively to running physics-based ground-shaking models across a colossal area measuring 700 km by 400 km, extending 150 km deep beneath the Earth’s crust. This resolution of 2 km, unparalleled in operational seismic simulations, covers approximately half of Mexico’s landmass. Such an allocation of resources exemplifies a novel paradigm in supercomputing: providing rapid-response computational power in the face of imminent natural disasters, respecting the time-critical nature of such events.

Urgent computing relies on predefined priority schemes that allow the immediate interruption of routine processes to execute emergency simulations without delay or human intervention. Sergi Girona, Director of Operations and CIO at BSC, describes urgent computing as a framework in which “programs, datasets, and operational procedures undergo rigorous validation beforehand to guarantee seamless, immediate run-time execution in critical scenarios.” This ensures that computational resources are dynamically reallocated to simulate emerging natural disasters, a capability rarely offered by traditional high-performance computing centers.

The broader implications of integrating such semi-automated computational workflows in disaster response are profound. This capability signals a paradigm shift toward real-time integration of supercomputing outputs into emergency management systems. By simulating the physical processes of earthquakes and other extreme events such as tsunamis, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions with unprecedented fidelity, decision-makers can access scientifically grounded forecasts that inform evacuation orders, infrastructure inspection, and resource allocation promptly after an event.

BSC’s expertise in this area is grounded in multiple European and national projects focused on natural hazards and urgent computing, including ChEESE, eFlows4HPC, and DT-GEO. These initiatives have produced algorithmic and infrastructural tools that underpin the sophisticated workflows tested during this Mexican earthquake simulation. The ability to harness these complex numerical methods operationally demonstrates the maturation of urgent computing as an indispensable tool for societal resilience against natural disasters.

Furthermore, the center collaborates closely with Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME), combining supercomputing power and artificial intelligence to generate comprehensive risk scenario simulations. This partnership aims to build a digital twin of emergency situations, incorporating dynamic simulations of seismic events alongside support system development to enhance strategic response capabilities. On the continental scale, BSC also plays a crucial role in the European Commission’s Destination Earth initiative, which seeks to create digital replicas of Earth’s systems to anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate-induced extreme weather and geophysical phenomena.

The integration of real-time, physics-based earthquake modeling within national emergency drills showcases the potential of combining computational power with operational protocols for rapid disaster assessment. As climate change and urbanization increase vulnerabilities worldwide, such cutting-edge simulations offer a promising pathway to safeguard populations and infrastructure. If successful in Mexico, the model may catalyze similar deployments globally, positioning supercomputing at the vanguard of disaster preparedness and response.

With this ambitious test, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center redefines the capabilities of computational science to address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. The MareNostrum 5 urgent computing protocol sets a precedent for on-demand, high-resolution natural hazard simulations, ensuring that when disaster strikes, science and technology will be ready to guide the first crucial moments of protection and recovery.

Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Barcelona Supercomputer Breaks New Ground in Real-Time Earthquake Simulation
News Publication Date: 17 September 2025
Image Credits: Credit: CASE / BSC – CNS
Keywords: Earthquake forecasting, Natural disasters, Computational physics, Computer modeling