Industry, institutions, and research converge in San Sebastian to advance quantum readiness
More than 100 international stakeholders explore the path from quantum research to industrial application within the Basque ecosystem. The Quantum Readiness for Business event showcases the Basque strategy, cutting-edge infrastructure, and collaboration opportunities in quantum technologies.
Within the framework of Q-Expo, one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to quantum technologies and their transition from research to market, the side event Quantum Readiness for Business brought together more than 100 representatives from across the quantum value chain, including technology developers, research organizations, public institutions, and industrial companies exploring the adoption of quantum computing as future end users. Organized as part of a broader international forum connecting the European quantum community, the event served as a platform to link European stakeholders and international delegations from countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Canada with the Basque quantum ecosystem, fostering dialogue and collaboration across regions.
The event was co-organized by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, BIC Gipuzkoa, Basque Quantum, CIC nanoGUNE, Quantum Motion, Adigital, and Multiverse Computing, with the shared objective of strengthening collaboration from the research and development of quantum hardware and enabling technologies to their integration into industrial use cases.
The program featured contributions from leading representatives of research, industry, and European policy initiatives, reflecting the diversity of actors involved in advancing quantum technologies beyond the laboratory. Speakers included Jose Maria Pitarke, Director of CIC nanoGUNE; Eleni Diamanti, Vice‑Chair of the European Quantum Flagship; César Tello, CEO of Adigital; Román Orús, Scientific Director of Multiverse Computing; Fernando González-Zalba, Ikerbasque Researcher at CIC nanoGUNE and Principal Engineer at Quantum Motion; Javier Aizpurua, Director of the Basque Quantum Strategy, and Eider Mendoza, Deputy-General of the Regional Government of Gipuzkoa.
Together, they offered complementary perspectives on the policy, scientific, and industrial conditions required to advance quantum readiness in Europe, including early engagement with end users. Speakers emphasized the importance of coordinating actions across the ecosystem to ensure access to infrastructure, talent development, and long‑term collaboration.
“The Basque Country and Gipuzkoa, specifically, are active contributors to the European quantum ecosystem. Connecting international experts and stakeholders with the capabilities being developed locally is essential to ensure that our region plays a meaningful role in the next phase of quantum technologies”, said Eider Mendoza, Deputy-General of Gipuzkoa.
According to Eleni Diamanti, member of the Quantum Technologies Advisory Group of the Flagship, “Europe’s challenge is no longer only scientific excellence, but systemic impact. Building a competitive quantum ecosystem requires sustained interaction between research, industry, and policy, as well as early engagement with future users.”
“We must bridge the gap between research and market, turning Spain’s scientific excellence in quantum technologies into scalable companies, real-world applications, and global leadership through strong public-private collaboration”, mentioned César Tello, director of Adigital. “In this future, Adigital plays a key role as a bridge between industry, institutions, Europe, and Latin America, helping drive adoption, scalability, and international competitiveness", he added.
Fernando González-Zalba, Ikerbasque Research Profesor at CIC nanoGUNE and Principal Engineer at Quantum Motion, highlighted that “from an industrial perspective, early collaboration with research centers and regional ecosystems such as the Basque Country is essential to reduce technological risk and accelerate scale-up. In that sense, building long-term partnerships plays a decisive role in turning quantum research into technologies that industry can realistically deploy”.
Participants also had the opportunity to visit two flagship facilities in the Basque Country that are supporting both scientific progress and industrial innovation: the IBM Quantum System Two and nanoGUNE's quantum hardware laboratories, where advanced quantum devices are being developed in collaboration with Quantum Motion.
Overall, the event highlighted the importance of creating shared spaces for early interaction between technology developers, policymakers, researchers, and potential end users. The program included dedicated matchmaking sessions, offering participants structured opportunities to connect, explore potential collaborations, and identify common interests between technology providers and organizations interested in future quantum computing applications. These interactions were identified as essential to ensuring that quantum technologies evolve in line with real industrial needs and that companies are progressively prepared to assess, adopt, and integrate quantum solutions as they mature.