LUMI AI Factory

The LUMI AI Factory adds a quantum piece to its computing infrastructure. The CSC – IT Center for Science, the Finnish center leading the initiative, has chosen IQM Quantum Computers for the supply of a quantum computer, the IQM Halocene H4, intended to be integrated into the hybrid environment that combines supercomputing, artificial intelligence, data, and quantum acceleration.

The system, named LUMI-IQ, is set to be delivered and installed in 2027 at the CSC data center in Kajaani, Finland. The first configuration includes a quantum processing unit of 150 qubits. However, it will not be a permanent installation: the project includes a series of progressive upgrades, aiming to increase the number of qubits, performance, and error resilience.

Quantum, HPC, and AI in the Same Environment

The goal is to build a hybrid environment where researchers, developers, and companies can experiment with workloads that combine HPC, AI, and quantum computing. Among the indicated fields are materials research, health, energy, and fundamental science.

The system will also be used for research and development activities on quantum error correction, one of the necessary conditions to overcome the limitations of current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) computers, which are still subject to noise and errors. The declared perspective is to guide LUMI-IQ towards fault-tolerant quantum computing, i.e., towards more stable, scalable quantum systems that can be used for complex applications.

The Role of IQM

For IQM Quantum Computers, this contract holds strategic weight. The Finnish company will provide the Halocene H4, an on-premise NISQ superconducting quantum system. Jan Goetz, CEO and co-founder of IQM, has defined CSC and LUMI AI Factory as suitable partners to bring quantum computing into a real operational context, thanks to the presence of advanced HPC infrastructure and a strong research base.

The contract comes at a delicate time for the European quantum market. IQM indicated in its prospectus from July 1, 2026, that the total value of the contract is approximately equivalent to the total revenue for the fiscal year 2025. The company has also recently completed a dual listing on Nasdaq in the United States and on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

LUMI-IQ will be jointly funded by EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, Finland, Czech Republic, Norway, and Poland. The message is clear: Europe does not wish to limit itself to funding quantum prototypes, but to integrate them into the computing infrastructures already used by research and industry.

Mikael Johansson, manager for Quantum Technologies at CSC, emphasized that the first system, expected in 2027, will already arrive with a QPU of 150 qubits. But the roadmap aims beyond: in the coming years, LUMI-IQ will need to evolve through successive upgrades, eventually becoming a European hybrid platform for AI and quantum computing.