Lagoa, Azores, Aug. 31, 2026 (Lusa) - The Vice-President of the Azores regional government said on Monday that the opening of the advanced computing facility and integrated quantum technology and emulator solution – Quantum LabAzores – proves that the Azores are «at the heart of the future» of innovation.
«And today we are also taking a historic step. We have demonstrated that an autonomous and outermost region can take technologically bold and financially responsible decisions,» said Artur Lima at the inauguration ceremony for Quantum LabAzores, held at Nonagon – the São Miguel Science and Technology Park in Lagoa.
According to him, Quantum LabAzores «represents computational capacity» as well as «human capacity», which will soon be bolstered by five new PhD scholarships from the Regional Science and Technology Fund.
«It represents investment in the talent of our young people, in the dynamism of our businesses and in the rigour of our scientific community. Yes, we are investing in our scientific community and in research. Today we have proven that the Azores are not on the periphery of innovation. The Azores are naturally at the heart of the future,» he said.
Lima noted that the regional government, which invested €500,000 in the project—supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR)—did not merely install a machine.
«We are equipping our university, our businesses, our young people and our researchers with the tools of scientific intelligence and digital sovereignty, which are so important today. Therefore, it is more than just a machine. It is an investment in people; it is available to our university, our research centres, our businesses, our young people and our researchers,» he stated.
He emphasised that the equipment also represents «a new ambition» for the region.
«We are inaugurating a genuine knowledge infrastructure, an advanced capability that brings our region closer to the cutting-edge technologies that are transforming science, the global economy and the very way in which we make public and business decisions,» he stressed.
The investment also means that the region's insular and outermost status does not limit its capacity for innovation; on the contrary, it compels us to «choose carefully, think further ahead and apply the available public resources with the utmost intelligence».
Artur Lima added that Quantum LabAzores stems from a medium- and long-term vision that combines digitalisation, innovation and the internationalisation of knowledge.
«This project is the result of a conscious strategic decision. We could have taken the easier, more conventional route – purchasing a small, traditional supercomputer – but that would in no way have set us apart from so many other regions that already utilise such equipment with resources incomparably superior to our own,» he explained.
He also noted that the public investment of €500,000 «is not measured solely by the size or weight of a machine; it is measured by the real utility it creates, the knowledge it generates, and the specific problems it will help to solve».
«We have chosen a more specialised architecture, better suited to the reality of the Azores and geared towards the future. A solution inspired by quantum methods, combined with high-performance computing and open-source software», he continued.
And he concluded: «We are not launching a cryogenic quantum computer. We are providing a real, operational infrastructure, at room temperature, which is energy-efficient and environmentally responsible, enabling us to work today on direct preparations for the future of computing».
Pedro Pinto, managing director of FSAS Technologies – a Fujitsu company in Portugal, explained to journalists that Quantum LabAzores is equipped with a traditional supercomputer, quantum emulation and a Digital Annealer (the first of its kind installed in Portugal).
Digital Annealer technology, utilising quantum algorithms, enables the optimisation of processes and is available to banks, factories and aviation companies, amongst others.
«Airlines wishing to optimise their entire crew rota. We have achieved savings of many millions of euros per year,» he assured.
Pinto stated that «whenever it is possible to identify the variables and understand how they interact, it is possible to improve that process» using the technology now available in the Azores.
The project was designed as an open and collaborative ecosystem, bringing together the Regional Public Administration, the University of the Azores, Nonagon, the business community and researchers.
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