Eni, the multinational energy company out of Italy is partnering with PASQAL, France-based quantum computing company to develop HPC solutions for the energy sector using quantum computing.
PASQAL, co-founded by 2022 Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Alain Aspect (see our previous story here) raised €25M in Series A funding last year. Investors included Eni, through its venture arm Eni Next.
Eni has been hosting and operating – HPC5 – since 2020, one of the largest private supercomputers in world. Eni uses its HPC (High Performance Computer) to process geophysical and seismic data from around the world to aid in identification and launch of production of energy. Sustainability and decarbonization are part of goals in these efforts.
The use of quantum computers will help solve problems that are sometimes limiting with just HPC alone and the basis for this partnership with PASQAL. As Dario Pagani, Eni’s Head of Digital & High-Performance Computing puts it, “PASQAL’s quantum computers will allow us to complement our conventional HPC workflows in areas such as optimization and machine learning and accelerate our research to create new solutions to the most pressing issues in the energy industry.” Eni expects the partnership with PASQAL to impact different parts of its value chain such as Upstream, Downstream, Chemicals and Renewables.
The energy space is seen several collaborations – we wrote earlier about Qandela and EDF. Earlier in the year, PASQAL also signed an agreement with Saudi ARAMCO to leverage quantum computing in energy applications. Exxon, Shell, BP are some of the energy majors involved in quantum computing exploration work as well.
About Eni
Eni is an integrated energy company with over 30,000 employees in 68 countries around the world. Eni’s decarbonization strategy aims to reach net zero by 2050.
About PASQAL
PASQAL builds quantum computers from ordered neutral atoms in 2D and 3D arrays. PASQAL was founded in 2019 by Georges-Olivier Reymond, Christophe Jurczak, Professor Dr. Alain Aspect, Nobel Prize Laureate Physics, 2022, Dr. Antoine Browaeys, and Dr. Thierry Lahaye. PASQAL raised €25M funding in Series A funding last year.
Investors in their Series A – Quantonation, Defense Innovation Fund (managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the Defense Innovation Agency), Runa Capital, Daphni, Eni Next and includes previously announced commitment by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund.
November 2022