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Quantum ambitions need more than algorithms. Spain has opened a Barcelona facility built to turn nanoscale designs into physical devices.
The new Quantum Nanofabrication Area at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM) is Spain’s largest research facility of its kind and received more than €6 million ($6.92 million USD) in funding. Equipped for nanolithography, microscopy, and metrology, it will support work spanning quantum computing, communications, healthcare, energy, and security.
More broadly, the investment gives Spain new fabrication capacity as Europe works to strengthen its semiconductor and quantum technology base.
Inside Spain’s new quantum fabrication facility
The Spanish National Research Council, or CSIC, said the facility is now the country’s most advanced for fabricating nanoscale devices and circuits for quantum technologies and advanced microelectronics.
CSIC described the project as another step toward “strengthening Spanish and European capabilities” while moving research toward devices with potential industrial applications.
Its centerpiece is the EBPG 5150Plus, Spain’s most advanced electron-beam lithography system.
According to The Quantum Insider, the facility also includes scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy equipment, giving researchers tools to fabricate, inspect, and characterize structures throughout the nanoscale manufacturing process.
Researchers and technology organizations in Spain and abroad will have access to the equipment, giving the facility a broader role beyond CSIC’s own research programs.
Barcelona connects Spanish chip policy with EU funding
Diari de Catalunya noted that the €6 million-plus renovation was financed through Spain’s Complementary Plan for Quantum Communications and PERTE Chip, with support from the European Union’s Next Generation EU funds. Another expansion of the IMB-CNM Clean Room is planned with backing from Catalonia and the EU’s ERDF program for 2021–2027.
According to Euronews, the Barcelona facility is part of a wider effort to expand Spain’s quantum and semiconductor capacity. The Complementary Plan supports quantum technologies and secure communications infrastructure, while PERTE Chip focuses on chips, microelectronics, and semiconductors.
The strategy comes as Europe, the US and China increase strategic investment in quantum science. CSIC President Eloísa del Pino has pointed to that competition while arguing for a long-term structure to strengthen Spain’s quantum ecosystem.
What eWeek found: Spain is building a quantum pipeline
The Barcelona opening is more significant when viewed alongside Spain’s wider quantum strategy. Rather than investing only in research or only in manufacturing tools, Spain is assembling several pieces needed to move technologies toward practical development.
Investment area | What Spain is building | Why it matters |
| Barcelona nanofabrication facility | Lithography, microscopy, metrology, and advanced prototyping | Adds shared fabrication capacity between basic research and device prototyping. |
| QuARC-CSIC | A national quantum research center connecting CSIC research groups | Brings research, talent, collaboration, and technology transfer under a broader national structure |
| EU-backed expansion | Next Generation EU and ERDF support alongside Spanish programs | Helps expand fabrication infrastructure and research capacity beyond the initial €6 million investment |
The Barcelona facility and QuARC-CSIC address two different needs: equipment and coordination. Researchers gain access to tools for building and testing nanoscale devices, while QuARC-CSIC brings together expertise and technology-transfer work across Spain. EU funding is helping expand that capacity further.
That combination matters because quantum commercialization requires more than strong research teams. Researchers also need shared facilities where devices can be fabricated, tested, refined, and handed off toward industrial development.
No single facility will determine Europe’s position in quantum computing, but Barcelona fills a practical gap between laboratory research and hardware commercialization.
Spain is not alone in expanding Europe’s quantum infrastructure, with IBM and Lockheed Martin also bringing a Quantum System Two installation to Switzerland.