Quantum computing company D-Wave has signed a €10 million ($11.6m) agreement with Swiss Quantum Technology SA (SQT) to deploy an Advantage2 annealing quantum computer.

Under the terms of the deal, D-Wave will provide SQT with access to 50 percent of the available machine for a five-year period, with the option for SQT to purchase the system at a future date.

The system will be deployed in Europe, although further details about where exactly it will be housed have not been disclosed.

In a post on social media platform X, D-Wave CEO, Dr. Alan Baratz, said the system placement supports “Italy’s newly formed Q-Alliance objectives and its state-of-the-art quantum computing research facility.”

However, Enrico De Mitri, CEO of SQT – a Swiss company established to focus on quantum hybrid applications and research – said in a statement that “hosting an Advantage2 system reinforces our commitment to help meet the growing need for advanced computation without accelerating energy consumption.”

Q-Alliance was launched earlier this week, with D-Wave as a founding member, in partnership with IonQ. The initiative said its mission is to create “the world’s most powerful quantum hub,” and develop an open, responsible, and sustainable ecosystem in Lombardy, northern Italy.

DCD has reached out to D-Wave for more information regarding the system’s intended location. No additional information about SQT appears to be easily accessible online.

First unveiled in 2022, D-Wave’s Advantage2 quantum computer features more than 4,400 qubits and has been designed for quantum and hybrid quantum applications. The company said the system hosted by SQT will be accessible to customers via D-Wave’s Leap quantum cloud service.

“The agreement with SQT is an important milestone in our ongoing effort to expand global access to our fleet of annealing quantum computers and to help our rapidly growing customer base solve computationally complex problems faster and more efficiently,” said Baratz. “As Europe extends its quantum leadership, we believe that D-Wave’s production-grade annealing quantum computing technology will serve as a critical component, fueling quantum application development and adoption now.”

De Mitri added: “Traditional computing is reaching its limits, not just in performance, but in energy efficiency. We believe D-Wave’s technology could be essential in delivering powerful solutions with a significantly smaller energy footprint.”