The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration , Óscar López , has announced a €9.75 million investment by the Spanish Government, through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT) , in Nu Quantum , a pioneering and leading company in distributed quantum computing based in the United Kingdom. This financial boost from the government will enable the British technology company to establish a branch in Spain.
“The race for quantum computing will not be easy, but Spain can and should specialize in sectors such as quantum communications . That is why the Spanish Government will invest almost 10 million euros in setting up a subsidiary of Nu Quantum in our country, through SETT, placing us at the forefront of the interconnection of quantum computers.”
The minister made this announcement during his speech at the Science for Industry forum , which is being held today and tomorrow in Madrid, and in which the CEO of the beneficiary company, Carmen Palacios-Berraquedo , also participated . The head of the technology company highlighted that this investment is part of a funding round in which her company has raised a total of $60 million, making it "the most successful round ever seen for a distributed quantum computing company ," she added.
Both have confirmed that the future subsidiary in Spain aims to become a leading center for quantum network infrastructure with a significant impact on employment . “Ten years ago, Spain exported talent and imported technological services. Now it’s just the other way around. Nu Quantum will play a key role because it will enable quantum computing to have commercial applications and because it will generate high-value talent: we’re talking about more than 30 skilled jobs,” López pointed out.
The minister also emphasized that this initiative reflects Spain's commitment to consolidating European digital sovereignty in an area critical for future competitiveness. " The day will come when quantum computing will be on everyone's lips. And Spain is getting ahead of the curve ; we are deploying the necessary infrastructure for its development and scalability. Our goal is to finance, promote, and govern quantum technologies to make our country a key hub in Europe and the world," the minister stressed.
This operation positions Spain at the forefront of one of the key areas of quantum computing, fully aligned with the PERTE Chip project and the National Strategy for Quantum Technologies , which has a budget of €808 million. It involves the interconnection of quantum computers through secure and scalable networks (distributed quantum computing), an essential step for this technology to achieve real-world commercial applications.
“Quantum technology opens the doors to a new world because it can reduce mathematical calculations that would take years to just minutes. If Spanish quantum computing manages to prevent a cyberattack, discover a new drug, or save a life, every effort will have been worthwhile,” López emphasized.
New subsidiary in Spain
The project aims to develop an advanced quantum network architecture capable of connecting multiple quantum processors in real time, significantly increasing their combined processing capacity. This approach overcomes one of the sector's main challenges: scalability , currently one of the biggest bottlenecks for the industrial adoption of quantum computing.
Thanks to these networks, it will be possible to develop quantum computers with the computational power needed to tackle highly complex problems in areas such as drug discovery, energy optimization, advanced materials modeling, and communications security , unlocking the economic value of this emerging technology.
The subsidiary's main focus will be the industrialization of the Quantum Networking Unit (QNU) and the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) , essential for creating ultrafast, low-loss switching and sensing modules that will enable the scaling of quantum computing to a commercial level. For its part, SETT will ensure the project's integration within the national quantum and photonic ecosystem , aligning it with Spain's strategic priorities and maximizing its economic and industrial impact.
Public-private collaboration
Spanish startups and scaleups, such as Qilimanjaro , Quside, Multiverse , and Quantix Edge Security , have already secured €81 million in venture capital investment from SETT, reflecting the sector's growing appeal. “ SETT is playing a key role in reshaping the national technology landscape , and Nu Quantum is further proof of this. We invest in talent and industry. We create regulatory certainty and have access to cheap, sustainable energy. This is the perfect combination for foreign companies to come here and join the public-private partnership that is at the heart of our management of European funds,” the minister concluded.
Nu Quantum, a leader in quantum computing
Nu Quantum emerged in 2018 from the University of Cambridge (UK), at the Cavendish Laboratory, one of the world's most prestigious physics research centers. Its advancements stem from over a decade of work, positioning it as the world's first company specializing in quantum networks.
Nu Quantum's founder and CEO, Carmen Palacios-Berraquero , is a Spanish award-winning quantum physicist and author of numerous research articles. With a PhD in physics from Cambridge, she also serves on the Technical Advisory Board of the UK's National Centre for Quantum Computing and is co-founder and director of UK Quantum, the UK's leading quantum industry group. Her scientific leadership, combined with sustained international growth and a multidisciplinary team, positions Nu Quantum as a key player in the global quantum industry.
SETT's investment is part of the PERTE Chip , which aims to strengthen national industrial and technological leadership by supporting projects that combine innovation, sustainability, and market transfer. The implementation of the PERTE Chip fund, established by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and financed by the European Union's Next Generation funds , is among SETT's responsibilities. SETT also manages two other financial instruments to boost the technology business ecosystem: Next Tech , dedicated to disruptive technologies, and Spain Audiovisual Hub , which promotes the digitalization of the audiovisual sector.
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