Czech Republic Quantum: The VLQ Computer in Ostrava and the National Strategy
The short version
Czechia does not spend at the scale of the largest powers, but it has taken a smart route: lead a European consortium, host a shared machine, and connect it to a national supercomputer. This page covers VLQ, who can use it, the national strategy priorities as described by the country's quantum envoy, and what to watch. For other EuroHPC machines see the EuroHPC guide.
What VLQ is
VLQ is a quantum computer at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, part of VSB, Technical University of Ostrava. The European Commission reported the inauguration on 23 September 2025 and described it as the second quantum computer launched under EuroHPC. Per Quantum Computing Report and the IT4Innovations release, the system has 24 superconducting qubits in a star-shaped layout. It was supplied by Finland's IQM. See superconducting qubits and IQM's systems.
Cost and consortium
Quantum Computing Report puts the acquisition cost at about EUR 5 million, with half funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking. The IT4Innovations release confirms EuroHPC provides 50% of the funding. The other half is covered by the LUMI-Q consortium: 13 partners from eight countries, led by Czechia, with Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. The name VLQ ties together VSB, LUMI-Q and quantum computing.
Who gets to use it
On 14 July 2026, IT4Innovations announced that the machine is available to users and that 16 projects had been awarded access through its Open Access Grant Competition, mostly in materials research and computer science. The institutions named include the Czech Academy of Sciences, VSB, Charles University and Brno University of Technology. Users get credentials and run circuits through a Python interface, either from the supercomputers or their own computers, via the LEXIS Platform.
- Czech research organizations: IT4Innovations grant competitions.
- LUMI-Q partner countries: national calls.
- Other European applicants: EuroHPC calls.
VLQ is linked to the Karolina supercomputer in Ostrava and to LUMI in Finland, which fits the hybrid model in hybrid GPU and quantum systems. The release also says it will be part of the CLARA Centre of Excellence, supporting a testbed for neurodegenerative disease research with a focus on Alzheimer's disease.
The national strategy, in the envoy's words
A February 2026 newsletter interview with Petr Kavalir, the Czech Special Envoy for Quantum Technologies, describes a strategy for the next 5 to 10 years. Priorities he lists include building talent at scale, a coordinated national system linking talent, infrastructure, research and industry, a science focus on quantum communication, sensing, optics and metrology with quantum materials as a core strength, and treating quantum software and AI as strategic layers. He also stresses involving industry from the start, says government and other institutions can act as early adopters especially in sensing, metrology and secure communications, and points to Czech strengths in precision manufacturing, optics and photonics. The interview gives no funding amounts or dated milestones, and it is not the official strategy text, so check the government's own publications before quoting targets.
The same interview notes an IBM Quantum Innovation Center in Czechia, through which eight Czech universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences have coordinated access to IBM quantum computers, software and training. See IBM's roadmap.
Why a mid-size country does this
Pooling money across countries lets small states afford real hardware. A single EUR 5 million machine shared among thirteen partners gives researchers a place to learn, test hybrid workflows and build skills before larger fault tolerant systems arrive. It does not make Czechia a quantum superpower, and a 24-qubit machine is for research and training, not for breaking encryption. See NISQ machines for what such devices can and cannot do.
What to watch
- Publication of formal national strategy targets and a budget.
- Results from the first 16 VLQ projects.
- New Czech startups, which the envoy expects to lead the way, and joint labs on device packaging and calibration.
Education only, not financial advice. The QNT memecoin is independent and has no connection to Czech programs or any quantum company.
Sources and further reading
- IT4Innovations: VLQ is available to users (14 July 2026)
- European Commission: Europe inaugurates its second quantum computer
- Quantum Computing Report: VLQ inauguration
- The Quantum Vibe: Inside the Czech National Quantum Strategy (3 February 2026)
Reported as of 2026-10-09. Research moves fast, so check the original papers and official pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is VLQ?
A 24-qubit superconducting quantum computer from IQM at IT4Innovations in Ostrava, run by the 13-partner LUMI-Q consortium and co-funded 50% by EuroHPC.
How much did VLQ cost?
About EUR 5 million as reported by Quantum Computing Report, with half from EuroHPC.
Who can use VLQ?
Czech researchers apply via IT4Innovations grant competitions, partner-country users via national calls, and other Europeans via EuroHPC calls.
Does Czechia have a national quantum strategy?
The country's quantum envoy described one with 5 to 10 year priorities in a February 2026 interview. We did not find funding figures, so check official sources.
Keep reading
- EuroHPC Quantum Computers: Europe's Shared Machines Explained
What the EuroHPC quantum computers are, where they sit (Munich, Paris, Poznan, Ostrava and more), what they cost and who can use them. - Europe's Quantum Landscape: Countries, Companies and the Big Picture
A plain English map of Europe's quantum push in 2026: national plans, flagship programs, shared supercomputer-linked machines and the startups behind them. - Superconducting Qubits Explained in Depth
How do superconducting qubits work? A clear look at circuits, microwave control, strengths, weaknesses and open questions in widely used quantum hardware. - Hybrid GPU and Quantum Systems in Practice: The Latency Budget
A closer look at why quantum computers need GPUs next to them: real time decoding, calibration, microsecond links, and the Quantinuum Helios decoding demonstration.
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