IBM has unveiled its latest quantum computing system, Aachen, which boasts 156 qubits powered by the advanced Heron r2 processor.

The announcement was made by David Faller, managing director of IBM Germany R&D, through a post on LinkedIn.

The installation and calibration of the Heron r2 chip were significantly supported by the German Quantum hardware team from IBM's R&D Lab in Böblingen.

Clients can access Aachen via the IBM Quantum Cloud Platform, located at the European IBM Quantum Data Center near Stuttgart, Germany.

Faller emphasized that Aachen is among the fastest quantum systems in IBM's current fleet.

The Heron r2 processor, first introduced in December 2023, is noted for its substantial performance improvements, offering a 3-5 times enhancement and a five-fold reduction in errors compared to its predecessor, the Eagle processor.

Aachen joins IBM's existing quantum systems, Strasbourg and Brussels, which each feature 127 qubits from the earlier Eagle processor generation and have been operational since June 2024.

As of early 2025, IBM operates 13 utility-scale quantum computers with over 100 qubits across various locations, including Poughkeepsie, NY, and its German data center.

Since 2016, IBM has deployed nearly 80 quantum systems, solidifying its position as a leader in the global quantum computing market.

In February 2025, it was reported that IBM's quantum unit had nearly reached $1 billion in signings since its inception in the first quarter of 2017.