Denmark Lands World’s Most Powerful Quantum Computer

• • Denmark is making a monumental leap in the global quantum race.
  • EIFO and the Novo Nordisk Foundation are investing €80 million to establish QuNorth, securing the world’s most powerful quantum computer.
  • This machine, named Magne, will be a Level 2 quantum system with logical qubits, boosting Nordic research and industry.

QuNorth: A Quantum Leap for the Nordics

The commercial and geopolitical stakes in quantum technology are exceptionally high, and significant strides have been made globally over the past decade. Despite a historically strong position in quantum research, Denmark and the broader Nordic region faced the risk of falling behind due to limited access to next-generation quantum systems, specifically Level 2 quantum computers. To counteract this, EIFO, Denmark’s export and investment fund, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, an independent Danish enterprise foundation, are jointly investing €80 million. This substantial investment will establish QuNorth, a new Nordic quantum initiative dedicated to acquiring and operating the most powerful commercial quantum computer to date.

This groundbreaking machine will be christened Magne, a name inspired by Norse mythology, where Magne, the son of Thor, is renowned for his immense strength. Magne is set to become the world’s most powerful commercially available quantum computer and one of the very first Level 2 quantum systems globally. These Level 2 systems are distinguished by their ability to perform calculations using logical qubits, which are far more stable and error-resistant than the noisy physical qubits used in earlier quantum computers. With Magne, Denmark and the Nordic region will gain unprecedented research and commercial potential, positioning them for global leadership in this critical technological domain.

Political and Strategic Implications

Morten Bødskov, the Danish Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, emphasized the fierce global competition for critical technologies. He highlighted that while China and the USA are investing massively, Europe risks falling behind. Bødskov asserted that quantum technology offers immense potential that Denmark and the European Union must seize. He believes that this investment in the world’s strongest quantum computer marks a decisive shift in the global quantum race, benefiting all of Europe. Denmark and the EU must lead in developing new technologies to harness the untapped possibilities of quantum technology for businesses, society, and security.

Both EIFO and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have significantly intensified their focus on quantum technology over the past year. Their investment in QuNorth and Magne aims to bolster both the Danish and Nordic quantum ecosystems. Peder Lundquist, CEO of EIFO, stated that a quantum computer of Magne’s caliber maximizes the likelihood of Denmark being among tomorrow’s winning nations. He stressed that access to one of the world’s very few Level 2 quantum computers will give Danish researchers and companies a unique advantage of national significance, marking a “quantum leap” into a future rooted in Niels Bohr’s research. Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, added that the investment addresses the Nordic countries’ limited access to cutting-edge quantum computers, preventing researchers and companies from falling behind.

The Technology Behind Magne

Magne will be delivered through a powerful partnership between Microsoft and Atom Computing, both world leaders in quantum technology with strong ties to the Danish ecosystem. Microsoft has made substantial investments in building and expanding its global quantum innovation center just north of Copenhagen. They will equip Magne with their specialized quantum software and applications, powered by the recently unveiled Microsoft Discovery platform. Atom Computing established its European headquarters in Copenhagen last year, following an investment from EIFO and a local pension fund. Atom Computing has developed a “neutral atom” technology, which is currently considered one of the best-performing quantum technologies available.

Jason Zander, Executive Vice President at Microsoft Corporation, expressed enthusiasm about deepening their collaboration with Denmark and the Nordics, recognizing their importance to Europe’s quantum ambitions. He stated that together with Atom Computing, they are striving to build the world’s most powerful quantum computer, applying Microsoft’s advanced error correction to Atom Computing’s high-fidelity qubits. Dr. Ben Bloom, CEO at Atom Computing, shared his team’s excitement to deliver their cutting-edge technology to a broad range of users. He highlighted that Atom’s hardware integrates advanced compute capabilities enabling deep technical research into novel logical qubit algorithms and quantum error correction, providing a full-stack solution for quantum innovation and applications for academia and industry.

Implementation and Future Vision

Construction of Magne is slated to begin in autumn 2025, with the computer expected to be ready for its initial tasks by late 2026 or early 2027. The selection of Microsoft and Atom Computing was the result of a thorough evaluation of various quantum platforms’ technological strengths, benefits, and overall contribution to the Nordic quantum ecosystem, including crucial access for researchers to the physical hardware. Magne will be 100% Danish-owned, with EIFO and the Novo Nordisk Foundation each investing approximately €40 million in QuNorth’s establishment. The search for a CEO for the new company will commence shortly, with QuNorth planning to build a small organization of around 10 employees. Their primary responsibility will be ensuring optimal utilization of Magne across commercial and academic users throughout the Nordic region. Additionally, QuNorth will establish four PhD/postdoc roles in collaboration with Microsoft.

QuNorth will unveil its commercial and academic program at a Nordic quantum event scheduled for autumn 2025. Both Magne and QuNorth will be headquartered in Copenhagen. This initiative aims to support researchers and industry in leveraging Magne, developing new applications in areas like material science and chemistry-related product development, and attracting talent and new quantum investments to the Nordic region. QuNorth will also collaborate closely with other stakeholders involved in quantum research development and commercialization in the Nordic region, which is expected to provide a significant competitive advantage for Europe.

Historical Context and Current Landscape

Comparing this announcement with previous developments in the quantum computing sphere highlights the accelerating pace of the field. For years, quantum computing has been largely confined to research labs, with “noisy intermediate-scale quantum” (NISQ) devices characterized by limited qubit counts and high error rates. Many early quantum computers, such as IBM’s Eagle processor with 127 qubits announced in 2021, focused on increasing the number of physical qubits. However, the true breakthrough for practical quantum computing lies in logical qubits, which are physical qubits protected by quantum error correction (QEC). QEC uses multiple physical qubits to encode one logical qubit, making it much more robust against environmental noise and computational errors.

This emphasis on “Level 2” quantum computers, defined by their use of logical qubits, signifies a maturation of the quantum computing industry. Previously, companies like Google and IBM demonstrated “quantum supremacy” or “quantum advantage” using physical qubits for specific, highly constrained problems. However, the transition to logical qubits, as seen with Magne, is crucial for tackling real-world, complex problems that require extremely low error rates. Atom Computing’s “neutral atom” technology is particularly promising because neutral atoms have long coherence times, meaning they can maintain their quantum state for longer periods, which is essential for stable logical qubits. Microsoft’s strong focus on quantum error correction software, like the newly unveiled Microsoft Discovery, complements this hardware advancement, addressing one of the biggest hurdles in scalable quantum computing. This combined approach of robust hardware and advanced error correction software is a significant step towards achieving fault-tolerant quantum computing, which is the ultimate goal for widespread commercial applications. The investment in Denmark positions the region at the forefront of this crucial transition.