A €92 million investment, 210 new jobs and Barcelona & Partners at the heart of it
Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has announced a strategic investment of €92 million to establish its global quantum development and manufacturing centre in Barcelona. The project will create up to 210 jobs over the next five years, cementing the city’s position as a leading technology hub and marking a pivotal moment for quantum computing across Europe.
“Right here in Barcelona we are building our global quantum development and manufacturing centre. It is a 92 million euro investment and we will scale to having 210 jobs over the next five years.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
From Quantum Discovery to Quantum Infrastructure
The new centre represents a crucial transition within the industry: moving from quantum discovery to large-scale infrastructure and manufacturing. OQC will develop its next-generation quantum systems here — OQC Titan — which are set to become among the most powerful quantum computers in the world, tackling problems far beyond the reach of classical computing.
“We’re now moving into a phase where it moves from quantum discovery to quantum infrastructure — really building those systems that are going to support our customers and solve some of their hardest problems.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
Why Barcelona?
OQC’s choice was driven by three decisive factors:
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World-class talent
Barcelona and Catalonia offer a highly skilled, diverse talent pool in science, engineering and technology. Local universities and research institutions provide a strong foundation for innovation, while the city’s international appeal attracts global quantum experts.
“Barcelona and Catalonia have some of the strongest talent in the world. When we first came to visit Barcelona, we were blown away.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
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Advanced scientific infrastructure
Barcelona is home to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, one of Europe’s leading supercomputing institutions and is developing InnoFAB, a future advanced fabrication facility that will be vital for producing quantum components.
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Strong institutional collaboration
A defining factor was the collaborative, fast-moving approach of public institutions and local partners. OQC worked with:
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- Barcelona & Partners
- The Government of Catalonia
- Barcelona City Council
- The Government of Spain
“It felt like a team. This industry is moving incredibly fast and on that basis we need people that are going to work as hard as we do and move as fast as we do. We definitely found that in terms of the partners that we have in Barcelona.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
The Key Role of Barcelona & Partners
Barcelona & Partners played a decisive role throughout OQC’s investment journey — from the earliest conversations about Barcelona’s suitability to navigating institutional relationships and accelerating strategic decision-making.
“Barcelona and Partners have had a fundamental impact on our choice of Barcelona. From the very starting point of understanding the needs and requirements we had as an internationalising business to supporting us to understand — is this the right location when it comes to talent, facilities, but also a location where we can scale and grow into the future. Barcelona and Partners helped us across all of those areas.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
One area that proved particularly important was OQC’s future facility needs. Barcelona & Partners helped the company understand that Inafab — a strategic fabrication facility — was under development, a factor that became central to OQC’s final decision.
“Understanding that that was coming, ensuring that we had the types of facilities that we would require, was a fundamental decision-making factor for us. But I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of Barcelona and Partners in our decision to choose Barcelona as the right location for our future growth.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
In a fast-moving, highly competitive industry, having a local partner that could match OQC’s pace proved essential.
“We needed a partner that was going to work at our pace, going to move as fast as we were moving, and we got that in Barcelona and Partners.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
Real-World Applications Across Industries
Quantum computing is set to transform a wide range of sectors. Unlike classical systems, quantum computers can process and simulate extremely complex datasets, enabling solutions previously out of reach:
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- Financial services: advanced risk modelling and optimisation
- Security and defence: next-generation cryptography
- Energy: development of more efficient batteries
- Pharmaceuticals: accelerated drug discovery
- Materials science: design of new, high-performance materials
Quantum and AI: A Powerful Combination
Quantum computing does not replace classical systems — it complements them. Its integration with artificial intelligence is expected to unlock significant breakthroughs across industries, positioning Barcelona not only as a quantum hub but as a strategic centre for future digital innovation.
“Quantum and AI together will be transformational for those sectors. It’s an exciting industry and we’re delighted that we get to build it here in Barcelona.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
Barcelona as Europe’s Quantum Capital
OQC’s investment reinforces a broader ambition: to establish Barcelona as the leading quantum hub in Europe. With its combination of talent, infrastructure and institutional alignment, the city is well placed to attract further companies and investment.
“There is a huge opportunity to become the hub in Europe for quantum. We’ve selected Barcelona because of those factors of talent, facilities and also the drive and the ambition of the institutions that we met. I expect more companies will see the same.”
— Gerald Mullally, CEO of OQC
OQC’s move to Barcelona is more than a major investment. It is a statement about the future of quantum computing in Europe. With this development, and with Barcelona & Partners as a key enabler, Barcelona is firmly positioning itself at the forefront of the next technological revolution.