On Thursday, Paris-based Pasqal announced the launch of Europe's third Pasqal-built quantum computer, hosted at CINECA in Bologna, Italy. The system, named SOL, is Italy's first neutral-atom quantum computer, based on Pasqal's Orion quantum processing unit (QPU) with 140 qubits.

The inauguration marked the rollout of new high-performance computing (HPC) and quantum systems procured by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking. It's co-funded by Italy's Ministry of University and Research through ICSC (Italian Research Center on HPC, Big Data, and Quantum Computing), including the Pasqal-delivered platform.

This installation is a big step for Europe's integrated HPC and quantum infrastructure. The system is designed for tight integration with the Leonardo pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer—one of the world's most powerful HPC systems. The launch strengthens Pasqal's expansion across Europe, following earlier deployments in France at CEA-TGCC and in Germany at FZJ-JSC under the EuroHPC JU HPCQS pilot program. Collectively, these installations form the foundation of Europe's distributed hybrid HPC–quantum computing network, supporting advanced research and enterprise use cases in materials science, optimization, and machine learning.

Pasqal Going Public Soon

In March 2026, Pasqal disclosed it is merging with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II (BBCQ) in a SPAC deal. The transaction values Pasqal at a pre-money equity of $2.0 billion and the combined company at a pro forma enterprise value of $2.6 billion. Pasqal expects to garner over $600 million in gross proceeds from the deal. Post-closure, the company will operate as Pasqal and list on Nasdaq.