--- description: IBM Quantum System Two with a 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 lands at CSCS in Lugano by end of 2026 under an IBM, Lockheed Martin, ETH Zurich hub. title: "IBM Quantum System Two Heads to Switzerland: 120-Qubit Nighthawk r2 at CSCS by End of 2026" image: https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Storagereview-ibm-quantum-system-two-in-poughkeepsie.jpg --- [![Storage Review]()](https://storagereview.com/) --- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [![StorageReview.com](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storage-Review-2x.png)](https://www.storagereview.com) ≡ Menu - [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) - [Storage Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/review) - [Consumer Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer) - [Enterprise Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) - [Ubiquiti Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/best/ubiquiti-reviews) - [SR Merch](https://store.storagereview.com) - [Leaderboards](https://www.storagereview.com/best) - [Best Storage Arrays](https://www.storagereview.com/best/storage-arrays) - [Best Enterprise SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/enterprise-ssds) - [Best Servers](https://www.storagereview.com/best/servers) - [Best Desktops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktops-local-ai) - [Best Laptops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptops-local-ai) - [Best Local LLM Tools](https://www.storagereview.com/best/local-llm-tools) - [Agentic AI Hardware](https://www.storagereview.com/best/agentic-ai-hardware) - [Best SSDs & Hard Drives](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) - [Best Portable SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/portable-ssds) - [Best Business Laptops](https://www.storagereview.com/best/business-laptops) - [Best Mobile Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/mobile-workstations) - [Best Desktop Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktop-workstations) - [Best Laptop Battery Life](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptop-battery-life) - [Storage Reference Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/storage-reference-guide) - [About SR](https://www.storagereview.com/about-storagereview) - [StorageReview.com Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations](https://www.storagereview.com/storagereview-com-sweepstakes-rules-and-regulations) Search [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) » [News](https://www.storagereview.com/news) » IBM Quantum System Two Heads to Switzerland: 120-Qubit Nighthawk r2 at CSCS by End of 2026 # IBM Quantum System Two Heads to Switzerland: 120-Qubit Nighthawk r2 at CSCS by End of 2026 by Harold Fritts on September 11, 2026 [AI](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise/ai)  ◇  [Enterprise](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) IBM and Lockheed Martin are setting up a quantum innovation hub at ETH Zurich, and its core is Switzerland’s first IBM Quantum System Two, to be installed at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano by the end of 2026. The hub comes out of an offset agreement with armasuisse, Switzerland’s Federal Office for Defence Procurement. IBM will operate the machine, which runs on an IBM Quantum Nighthawk processor, while ETH Zurich supplies the expertise and coordinates access for Swiss universities, startups, and companies. ![IBM Quantum System Two in IBM's Poughkeepsie quantum data center, with its mirrored hexagonal enclosure beside cooling manifolds and rows of black compute racks](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Storagereview-ibm-quantum-system-two-in-poughkeepsie.jpg) ## A 120-Qubit Nighthawk r2 Next to Alps The Swiss system will run IBM’s Nighthawk r2, which IBM calls the fastest and most advanced processor it has made available to users. It carries 120 programmable qubits and a new high-speed qubit reset architecture that lets it execute more than 100,000 circuits per second, which IBM puts at up to 25x the circuit throughput of the Heron processors it succeeds. IBM also says the part has already demonstrated accurate computations on quantum circuits containing 7,500 gates. Nighthawk is the processor family IBM has been building its near-term roadmap around, most recently when it [linked two cryogenic modules below 15 millikelvin](https://www.storagereview.com/news/ibm-links-two-cryogenic-modules-below-15-millikelvin-on-the-path-to-its-2029-fault-tolerant-quantum-computer) on the way to its 2029 fault-tolerant machine. CSCS will house the System Two in the same facility as its Alps supercomputer and provide the power, cooling, and security, so the quantum node sits directly alongside national HPC infrastructure for the chemistry, materials science, optimization, and financial services work the hub is targeting. That’s the same quantum-centric supercomputing pattern IBM has been describing with partners like [AMD](https://www.storagereview.com/news/ibm-and-amd-partner-on-quantum-centric-supercomputing), where a quantum processor handles the parts of a problem classical hardware can’t simulate efficiently, and the supercomputer handles the rest. The IBM and ETH Zurich agreement to install and operate the system runs for an initial three years, through 2029. Until the hardware arrives, organizations joining through ETH Zurich get access to IBM’s cloud-based quantum fleet, and the whole arrangement builds on a 10-year collaboration between IBM and ETH Zurich on the next generation of algorithms for AI and quantum computing. ## Lockheed Martin’s Two Projects and the Training Pipeline The hub formalizes two joint projects between IBM and Lockheed Martin: quantum sensing for navigation, and quantum simulation aimed at improving the additive manufacturing of metallic alloys. “This project extends the strategic relationship between Lockheed Martin and IBM in quantum and AI while positioning Switzerland as a leader in these critical, cutting-edge fields,” said Dr. Craig Martell, vice president and chief technology officer at Lockheed Martin. Alessandro Curioni, vice president of algorithms and applications at IBM Research and director of the Zurich Research Laboratory, said the goal is “to put world-class quantum hardware, software and expertise directly into the hands of Switzerland’s thriving academic institutions and industries.” “Switzerland will gain access to essential research infrastructure that will enable us to further advance the exploration of this emerging technology,” said ETH Zurich President Joël Mesot. Alongside the hardware, the Swiss ecosystem gets IBM Quantum Network and IBM Quantum Platform learning offerings, including coursework, certifications, and workshops, plus support for hackathons, conferences, and partner forums. IBM’s [Starling roadmap](https://www.storagereview.com/news/ibm-unveils-starling-roadmap-to-fault-tolerant-quantum-computing) puts a fault-tolerant system in Poughkeepsie by 2029, and installations like the one at CSCS are where the algorithms for that machine get worked out on utility-scale hardware in the meantime. ### [IBM Quantum Hardware](https://www.ibm.com/quantum/hardware) **Engage with StorageReview** [Newsletter](https://www.storagereview.com/storage_newsletter) |  [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/StorageReview "Opens in a new window") | Podcast  [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/storagereview-com-storage-reviews/id1060681115 "Opens in a new window")/ [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0 "Opens in a new window") |  [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/ "Opens in a new window") |  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/storagereview "Opens in a new window") |  [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview? "Opens in a new window") |  [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) ![]() ### Harold Fritts I have been in the tech industry since IBM created Selectric. My background, though, is writing. So I decided to get out of the pre-sales biz and return to my roots, doing a bit of writing but still being involved in technology. Previous post: [Palantir and NVIDIA Deploy a Sovereign Nemotron Supply Chain Stack, Starting With the 1.3 Million Parts in Every Vera Rubin Rack](https://www.storagereview.com/news/palantir-and-nvidia-deploy-a-sovereign-nemotron-supply-chain-stack-starting-with-the-1-3-million-parts-in-every-vera-rubin-rack) Next post: [LTM Builds a Lightwell Remediation Services Practice Around IBM and Red Hat’s $5B Open-Source Program](https://www.storagereview.com/news/ltm-builds-a-lightwell-remediation-services-practice-around-ibm-and-red-hats-5b-open-source-program) Trusted Vendors Products and solutions from our affiliate partners: - [ ![Ubiquiti Logo](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2-1.webp) Ubiquiti](https://store.ui.com/us/en?a_aid=StorageReview "Opens in a new window") - [ ![Newegg Logo](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/newegg.webp) Newegg](https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=g5terNMDhz0&offerid=1207190.18&subid=0&type=4 "Opens in a new window") - [ ![Amazon Logo](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/amazon.webp) Amazon](https://amzn.to/4fLJUEW "Opens in a new window") Newsletter Subscribe to the StorageReview newsletter to stay up to date on the latest news and reviews. We promise no spam! 1 Leave this field empty if you’re human: ## Advertisement Content Categories [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) Copyright © 1998-2025 Flying Pig Ventures, LLC Cincinnati, Ohio. All rights reserved. Manage your privacy To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen. Functional Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Preferences Preferences The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Statistics Statistics The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Marketing Marketing The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Statistics Marketing Features Always active Always active - Manage options - Manage services - Manage {vendor\_count} vendors - [Read more about these purposes](https://cookiedatabase.org/tcf/purposes/) Accept Deny Manage options Save preferences Manage options - {title} - {title} - {title} Manage your privacy To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Functional Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Preferences Preferences The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Statistics Statistics The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Marketing Marketing The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Statistics Marketing Features Always active Always active - Manage options - Manage services - Manage {vendor\_count} vendors - [Read more about these purposes](https://cookiedatabase.org/tcf/purposes/) Accept Deny Manage options Save preferences Manage options - {title} - {title} - {title} Manage consent Manage consent ```json {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026","name":"IBM Quantum System Two Heads to Switzerland: 120-Qubit Nighthawk r2 at CSCS by End of 2026 - StorageReview.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Storagereview-ibm-quantum-system-two-in-poughkeepsie.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-11T16:25:47+00:00","description":"IBM Quantum System Two with a 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 lands at CSCS in Lugano by end of 2026 under an IBM, Lockheed Martin, ETH Zurich hub.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Storagereview-ibm-quantum-system-two-in-poughkeepsie.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Storagereview-ibm-quantum-system-two-in-poughkeepsie.jpg","width":1500,"height":1125,"caption":"IBM Quantum System Two in IBM's Poughkeepsie quantum data center, with its mirrored hexagonal enclosure beside cooling manifolds and rows of black compute racks"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news\/ibm-quantum-system-two-heads-to-switzerland-120-qubit-nighthawk-r2-at-cscs-by-end-of-2026#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"IBM Quantum System Two Heads to Switzerland: 120-Qubit Nighthawk r2 at CSCS by End of 2026"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/","name":"StorageReview.com","description":"StorageReview.com is a leading provider of news and reviews throughout the entire IT stack - from the datacenter to the edge, and all points in between.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#organization","name":"StorageReview.com","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Storage-Reviews-2-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Storage-Reviews-2-2.png","width":344,"height":61,"caption":"StorageReview.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/storagereview","http:\/\/youtube.com\/user\/storagereview"]}]} ```