Europe is taking a decisive step in building its next-generation computing infrastructure with the simultaneous inauguration of Jade and Ruby, two quantum computers developed by Pasqal and now integrated into the supercomputers of the CEA and the Forschungszentrum Jülich. This commissioning marks the transition from a decade of experimentation towards true hybrid capabilities combining HPC and quantum, a strategic issue for European research and industry.
The event, organized in parallel at the CEA TGCC, in Jülich and within the European Commission, demonstrates the collaborative nature of the HPCQS project, financed by EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and by France via HQI as part of France 2030. Jade is installed in Germany, Ruby in France. The two machines have a control capacity of more than 100 qubits and fit directly into existing HPC environments, a first for a European technology.
For the CEA as for FZJ, the objective is to make quantum available for concrete uses: design of new materials, industrial optimization, computational chemistry or pharmacological explorations.
And the challenge is not limited to hardware, a complete software stack has been developed to ensure continuity between classical and quantum calculation. Integration via SLURM allows researchers to access QPUs like any HPC resource. Compatibility with solutions from Eviden, ParTec and the Pasqal SDK opens access to hybrid workflows in the areas of simulation, optimization and machine learning.
The first demonstrations presented during the inauguration show the ability to directly connect Jade and Ruby to Joliot Curie (GENCI) and JURECA supercomputers. Beyond technical performance, these tests validate an infrastructure model where HPC and quantum cooperate to address problems that classical computing cannot solve alone. They also announce future integration into exascale systems, in particular with the Alice Recoque supercomputer.
For Bruno Lebret, Director of CEA DAM Île-de-France, “TGCC users and European scientific communities will be able, after three years of experimentation with emulators, to use real quantum computers for their use cases”. Philippe Lavocat, CEO of GENCI, recalls that the joint inauguration of Jade and Ruby “testifies to the strong position of France and Europe in this quantum race against time”. The two managers emphasize that this commissioning is part of the national quantum strategy and the HQI project, which structures quantum-classical hybridization.
With Jade and Ruby, Europe is not just installing two new computers but is opening a cycle where quantum technologies move beyond fundamental research to become part of production infrastructures.
