START4.0 announces the presentation of the launch of the Italian Quantum Emulation Center, the first center of its kind in Italy, scheduled for Friday, July 17, 2026, from 11.00 a.m., at Costa Crociere’s C Lab, Piazza Piccapietra 48, Genoa. Promoted by MCG Srl and START4.0 under the scientific direction of Prof. Marco Armoni, the Center brings a professional quantum computing infrastructure to the country for the first time: the emulator is installed in Pavia, while the servers will be hosted in Genoa, within the START4.0 Competence Center. The event, entitled “Quantum emulation arrives in Italy”, will be an opportunity to present the platform to institutions, research organizations and companies, with a live demo.
What quantum emulation is — and why it is not simulation
Quantum emulation is the ability to faithfully reproduce the behavior of a quantum computer using high-performance classical hardware. Unlike simple simulation, emulation reproduces the dynamics of qubits with certified fidelity, delivering results aligned with those of physical quantum systems. The EQM engine at the heart of the Center runs on GPUs and manages from 30 to over 38 qubits, with more than 99% fidelity compared to real NISQ systems.
The result is computing power that until now has been reserved for very few — accessible only through investments in the order of tens of millions of euros or via foreign cloud services — now within reach of an Italian laboratory. A breakthrough that dramatically lowers the entry barrier to quantum computing for universities, research centers and companies.
A Center between Pavia and Genoa: why it was created here
The Italian Quantum Emulation Center is based on a distributed structure: the emulator is installed in Pavia, while the servers are housed in Genoa, within the START4.0 Competence Center. This choice strengthens the role of the Ligurian region as a hub for applied research and technology transfer, bringing together academic, industrial and institutional expertise. For a national Competence Center such as START4.0, hosting this infrastructure means supporting companies and institutions in a form of innovation that is governed and measurable, where frontier research is translated into concrete solutions that can be adopted by the production system. A vision that enhances Genoa’s innovation ecosystem and projects it onto a technology that is strategic for the future of the country.
The live demo: one engine, three scenarios
The heart of the day will be a live demo showing how a single EQM engine can address three different scenarios — defense, healthcare and mobility — demonstrating the versatility of the platform. A direct and concrete way to experience what it means to have quantum computing capabilities applied to real-world problems, from assessing millions of possible configurations to supporting decision-making in complex contexts. The morning will open with institutional greetings and continue with speeches by Prof. Paola Girdinio, President of START4.0, Prof. Marco Armoni, Scientific Director of the Center and founder of MCG, and Eng. Imma Orilio, co-founder of MCG, before the demo and a final networking session.
Data sovereignty, GDPR and post-quantum cryptography
Among the Center’s strengths is on-premise processing, without relying on foreign cloud services: data remains in Italy, in full compliance with the GDPR. This is a decisive aspect for public administration, critical infrastructure and defense, where data sovereignty is a non-negotiable requirement. The Center was created with two missions: training new skills in quantum computing and developing post-quantum cryptography solutions to protect data and systems from the threats of the quantum era. Applications range from materials to aerospace, from pharmaceuticals to genomics, and cybersecurity.
The strategic role of START4.0
The launch of the Italian Quantum Emulation Center confirms START4.0’s role as a national reference point for secure and sustainable digital transformation. Bringing to Italy a quantum computing infrastructure accessible to research and industry means strengthening the competitiveness of companies — especially SMEs — and helping to build an ecosystem in which research, industry and institutions work together to turn the most advanced ideas into concrete value for the production system.
The appointment is for Friday, July 17, 2026, at 11.00 a.m., at Costa Crociere’s C Lab in Genoa.
See the program: https://www.start4-0.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Programma_EQM.pdf
Places are limited. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2kR33p8HQW5T84hwCsELarZ0mW4WoMDntAVzaB_XkOhcSYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor