“High-Performance Computer and Quantum Simulator Hybrid (HPCQS)” pioneers federated quantum supercomputing in Europe

(HPCWire) Europe enters into the new era of hybrid quantum-high-performance computing with the new project “High-Performance Computer and Quantum Simulator hybrid” (HPCQS).
HPCQS sets out to integrate two quantum simulators, each controlling about 100+ qubits in supercomputers located at two European HPC centers. The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) based in Luxembourg has granted the infrastructure project in the framework of its Research and Innovation Action “Advanced pilots towards the European exascale Supercomputers.” HPCQS will receive a total budget of 12 Mio Euro over the next four years, which is provided by the EuroHPC JU and the participating member states in equal parts.
The EuroHPC JU is a joint initiative of the EU, European countries and private partners to develop a world class supercomputing ecosystem in Europe. HPCQS will carry out a Public Procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI) to implement two 100+ qubit quantum simulators and start an ambitious research program on December 1st , 2021. Prof. Kristel Michielsen of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), one of the five participating European HPC centers, is coordinating the project.
HPCQS aims to develop, deploy and coordinate a European federated infrastructure, tightly integrating two quantum simulators each controlling about 100+ qubits (quantum bits) in the Tier-0 HPC systems Joliot Curie of GENCI, operated at CEA/TGCC, and the JUWELS modular supercomputer at JSC. The seamless integration of quantum hardware with classical computing resources, creating a hybrid system, is an essential step forward to utilize the power of quantum computers for handling first practical applications.
The four-year pilot project HPCQS will develop the programming platform for the quantum simulator. It is based on two European software developments, the Atos Quantum Learning Machine (QLM)TM and ParTec’s Parastation ModuloTM. Together, these technologies allow the deep, low-latency integration of quantum simulators into classical modular HPC systems as a first-of-its-kind realization.
HPCQS will create and provide a hardware-agnostic, comprehensive programming environment made in Europe for quantum computing and quantum HPC hybrid applications designed for end-users.
To achieve these goals, HPCQS brings together leading quantum and supercomputer experts from science and industry from six European countries. HPCQS will become an incubator for practical quantum HPC hybrid computing that is unique in the world. The five participating European HPC centers JSC at Forschungszentrum Jülich (Tier-0 site, Germany), GENCI/CEA (Tier-0 site, France), Barcelona Supercomputing Center (Tier-0 and pre-exascale site, Spain), CINECA (Tier-0 and pre-exascale site, Italy) and NUIG-ICHEC (Tier-1 site, Ireland) collaborate closely with the technological partners Atos (France), ParTec (Germany), FlySight (Italy), ParityQC (Austria), the research partners CEA (France), CNRS (France), Inria (France), CNR (Italy), the University of Innsbruck (Austria), Fraunhofer IAF (Germany) and the SME partner Eurice (Germany) to reach their joint goals. In addition, the HPCQS project has received more than thirty letters of support from academia, industry, SMEs and start-ups, which demonstrates the strong expectations of the European user community.