First German quantum cloud: Anaqor is new associated partner of IONOS-led project SeQuenC

As consortium leader of the SeQuenC initiative launched in 2022, IONOS welcomes Anaqor AG as a new associated partner. SeQuenC has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Research (BMWK) to develop the first quantum cloud for German industry. With the new partner, the consortium can use Anaqor's platform PlanQK to develop an end-to-end offering for challenges in optimization, simulation, and machine learning.

Berlin, 10 October 2023 – German research projects such as PlanQK and SeQuenC are driving development in quantum computing to ensure European digital sovereignty in this important area. In the process, political funding aims to give small and medium-sized enterprises in particular access to quantum computing. Last year, the University of Stuttgart, the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems FOKUS and the hybrid quantum computing cloud company QMware AG joined forces under the consortium leadership of IONOS: the SeQuenC Cloud is intended to democratize quantum computing. SMEs should be able to test and use quantum computing solutions at an early stage. The new partnership between Anaqor – and thus also the PlanQK platform – and the SeQuenC initiative aims to share knowledge between the two projects and strengthen the European quantum community.

The new cooperation marks a significant milestone in German quantum research and its political funding. Also launched by the BMWK in 2020, PlanQK can now strengthen the further development of the European quantum computing ecosystem after successful implementation. As a new partner of the SeQuenC initiative, PlanQK enriches the project with a professional Quantum DevOps platform that provides companies and business users with a selection of applications. Current users of the PlanQK platform will now be the first to gain access to the SeQuenC Cloud. PlanQK is thus a successful example of political investment at the federal level and is leading the way in promoting high technology.

Michael Falkenthal, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Anaqor, the
consortium leader of PlanQK, said: “With SeQuenC, we share a mission to make the
use of quantum computing as easy and frictionless as possible. Therefore, it is a
pleasure for us to provide the PlanQK community with future access to Germany’s
first quantum cloud for industrial users and empower them to drive innovation in
quantum computing.”

Rainer Sträter, Senior Vice President Technology Office at IONOS, added: “With
SeQuenC, we are laying the foundation for the first German quantum cloud for
industrial users. The project is a major step for the future viability of German
industry. We are thus positioning Germany as a pioneer in this key technology and
strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty.”

About SeQuenC:

SeQuenC is part of the “Digital Technologies for the Economy” funding program and plays a crucial role in creating the conditions for German industry and business to develop and operate sector-specific quantum applications. SeQuenC’s innovative cloud offering, which links cloud services, classical high-performance computing, and quantum computing, marks a groundbreaking step for Germany’s digital sovereignty in the field of quantum computing. In 2022, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate has commissioned the consortium with the work. In addition to consortium leader IONOS, Fraunhofer Fokus, the University of Stuttgart and QMware AG are also involved.

About PlanQK:

PlanQK is the first open community-powered platform and ecosystem for quantum applications, connecting developers, industrial users, researchers, and quantum hardware providers with a platform for the integration, deployment, development, and monetization of quantum services. With over 30 successfully tested use cases and more than 100 partners, PlanQK, is a pioneer in the field of quantum platforms. Initiated in 2019 and supported through a research grant by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Affairs it has been continuously developed in collaboration with leading universities and companies.

About Anaqor:

Anaqor is a software-focused quantum start up based in Berlin and Stuttgart founded to enable innovators who build and use tomorrow’s quantum solutions. In 2019, Anaqor initiated PlanQK – the first community-powered quantum platform and ecosystem supported by the German government and trusted to date by more than 100 organizations. PlanQK provides the technological foundation to connect all players involved in the quantum value chain to push together the boundaries of what’s possible today and create the biggest impact for society.

About Ionos:

IONOS is the leading European digitalization partner for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). IONOS has more than six million customers and is active in 18 markets in Europe and North America with a globally available platform. With its Web Presence & Productivity offerings, the company acts as a “one-stop-shop” for all digitization needs from domains and web hosting to modern website builders with artificial intelligence and Do-It-Yourself solutions, from e-commerce to online marketing tools. In addition, IONOS offers cloud solutions for companies that want to move to the cloud as their business evolves.

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E-mail: mira.dechant@qm-ware.com
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