IBM and Lockheed Martin are establishing a quantum innovation hub in Switzerland under a formal agreement with armasuisse, the country’s Federal Office for Defence Procurement. The hub will be located at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano, which is affiliated with ETH Zurich — an arrangement that places the initiative at the intersection of defence procurement, academic research, and high-performance computing.

The facility will host Switzerland’s first IBM Quantum System Two, powered by IBM’s Quantum Nighthawk processor. IBM describes Nighthawk as its most advanced quantum chip to date. Full deployment is expected by the end of 2026, while users will receive access to IBM’s cloud-based quantum computing systems before the installation is completed. That staggered timeline — cloud access first, full hardware by end-2026 — offers the clearest near-term checkpoints for gauging whether the hub stays on schedule.

The announcement was reported by First Squawk on X:

IBM, LOCKHEED MARTIN ANNOUNCE SWISS QUANTUM INNOVATION HUB AT ETH ZURICH, ANCHORED BY SWITZERLAND'S FIRST IBM QUANTUM COMPUTER — First Squawk (@FirstSquawk) September 10, 2026

https://x.com/FirstSquawk/status/2097943967396761846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Swiss companies, startups, and academic institutions will be able to use the system through ETH Zurich. Participants will also have access to the IBM Quantum Network and IBM Quantum Platform. Planned training activities include coursework, certifications, workshops, hackathons, and conferences.

Expected research areas include chemistry, materials science, optimisation, and financial services. IBM and Lockheed Martin also plan two joint development projects under the agreement. One will examine quantum sensing applications for navigation, while the other will focus on additive manufacturing using metallic alloys. Both fall within the defence and aerospace domains that have anchored the companies’ joint quantum work since 2021.

The project is backed by armasuisse, which oversees Switzerland’s military and security procurement. ETH Zurich President Joël Mesot said the infrastructure would support quantum research and workforce education. Lockheed Martin Chief Technology Officer Dr. Craig Martell said the initiative extends the companies’ work in quantum computing and artificial intelligence while helping position Switzerland as a leader in those fields. IBM’s Alessandro Curioni said the project would give Swiss institutions and industries access to advanced quantum hardware and expertise.

IBM and Lockheed Martin began working together in 2021, when Lockheed committed $1.3 million to the Institut Quantique at Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec. Since then, the companies have collaborated on quantum applications in defence, national security, and aerospace manufacturing.

IBM has committed more than $10 billion to quantum research and manufacturing over the next five years. The Swiss hub follows a previously announced 10-year collaboration between IBM and ETH Zurich focused on foundational algorithmic research.

The announcement comes as Europe attracts quantum companies from the United States through government funding and its network of academic institutions. Shares of both companies were little changed in premarket trading on Thursday. IBM fell 0.3%, while Lockheed Martin rose 0.7%. How quickly Swiss institutions take up access, and how the two joint development projects progress, will offer the most concrete measures of the hub’s reach once the system is online.

Source: CoinCentral