OVHcloud has taken a strategic step in the quantum race with the announcement of Quantum Platform, which they present as the first European offering of quantum computers in the cloud. The initiative begins with access to at least eight QPU (Quantum Processing Units) over the next few years and debuts with Pasqal Orion Beta, a 100-qubit system based on neutral atoms that is now available to enterprise customers and public administrations.
Beyond the eye-catching headline, the move positions the French provider as a key player within the emerging Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) ecosystem in Europe, a market previously dominated by offerings from American and Asian giants.
From labs to the cloud: what Quantum Platform offers
Quantum computing promises to solve problems that are impractical for current supercomputers: large-scale optimization, material and molecular simulation, complex financial models, energy planning, among others. The challenge, however, is not just building the hardware but making it accessible to companies and research centers without requiring them to set up their own quantum lab.
This is where Quantum Platform comes in:
- It is offered as a cloud service, accessible on demand.
- It coexists with OVHcloud’s conventional infrastructure (bare-metal, public and private cloud).
- It allows working with both quantum simulators and real quantum hardware.
OVHcloud is not starting from scratch. In 2022, they launched their first quantum simulator, and today they have Nine simulators deployed across their infrastructure, making it the broadest range of European quantum simulators. Nearly 1,000 users have been experimenting with different quantum computing models.
The new development is that access to real quantum computers remotely is now added, starting with Pasqal Orion Beta.
Pasqal Orion Beta: 100 European qubits… also in the European cloud
The first system integrated into the platform is Pasqal Orion Beta, a 100-qubit QPU based on neutral atoms arranged in 2D and 3D arrays, a technology Pasqal has specialized in since its founding in 2019. This approach is one of the leading contenders in the quantum race compared to other methods such as superconductors or trapped ions.
With this announcement:
- OVHcloud customers can access Orion Beta directly from the provider’s cloud ecosystem.
- They do not need to manage the hardware or the complex cryogenic and control infrastructure involved.
- They can combine classical workloads and quantum workloads within the same cloud environment.
Pasqal also emphasizes the strategic importance of this partnership. Their CEO, Loïc Henriet, notes that providing OVHcloud access to the quantum computer is “an important step toward European digital sovereignty”, ensuring that both quantum hardware and cloud infrastructure can be developed and operated entirely in Europe.
Toward a European quantum ecosystem… with eight QPU integrations by 2027
Quantum Platform will not rely on just one supplier. OVHcloud’s goal is to integrate at least eight QPUs by 2027, of which seven will come from European vendors, according to the company’s announced plan.
Practically, this means:
- Hosting various quantum technologies (neutral atoms, photonics, superconductors…)
- Allowing clients to test and compare different models and architectures based on their use cases.
- Building a multi-vendor quantum catalog, similar to how traditional instances are managed across major clouds today.
For Fanny Bouton, Quantum Lead at OVHcloud, this launch enables offering “the most advanced technologies” while promoting “the development of a European quantum cloud,” with tools to help iterate, test, and learn before quantum computing reaches widespread adoption.
This aligns with European strategies for digital sovereignty and initiatives like the supercomputing and quantum programs driven by the European Union, which aim to avoid dependence on American or Chinese infrastructures in the next wave of technological advancements.
What companies will be able to do with Quantum Platform
Although quantum computing remains in an early stage, OVHcloud positions its platform as a space to start building internal capabilities, both in companies and public administrations.
Some typical scenarios to explore include:
- Optimization and logistics
Routing, resource allocation, managing electrical grids or telecommunications networks, where small efficiency gains can lead to significant savings. - Finance and risk management
Derivative valuation models, faster and more accurate Monte Carlo simulations, or portfolio optimization under multiple constraints. - Energy and climate
Complex models related to energy distribution networks, storage, or renewable integration, which involve large data volumes and many coupled parameters. - Materials science and chemistry
Simulation of molecules and advanced materials for batteries, pharmaceuticals, or catalysts—areas where practical quantum advantage is highly anticipated.
In all these cases, combining simulators and real hardware allows early work with quantum (or hybrid quantum-classical) algorithms, validation in testing environments, and preparation for when hardware matures.
OVHcloud positions itself as a key player in European quantum cloud
Beyond the technical novelty, this announcement strengthens OVHcloud’s position as a leading European actor in cloud and infrastructure:
- Managing more than 500,000 servers across 46 data centers on four continents.
- Serving 1.6 million clients in over 140 countries.
- Operating with an integrated model—designing and manufacturing its own servers and data centers, controlling its fiber network, and committing to a reduced carbon footprint through resource-efficient practices.
With Quantum Platform, this industrial and network foundation now serves the next generation of workloads, the quantum ones. And it does so with a distinctly European narrative: infrastructure, data, and now also quantum computers hosted and operated under European jurisdiction.
Challenges ahead
The move, in any case, does not eliminate the challenges remaining on the table:
- Quantum hardware is still far from widespread “quantum advantage” for everyday business cases.
- There is a lack of hybrid profiles (developers, data scientists, systems engineers) with applied quantum training.
- Standardization of interfaces, SDKs, and frameworks remains an evolving area.
Precisely because of these challenges, it is significant that providers like OVHcloud are beginning to offer integrated, accessible platforms: without this intermediate step, quantum computing risks remaining confined to a few laboratories.
Ultimately, Quantum Platform is presented as another step toward a sovereign European quantum ecosystem, where companies and public organizations can experiment, learn, and prepare for the next big wave of computing without losing control of their data or infrastructure.