LES CLAYES-SOUS-BOIS: Atos has inaugurated its new global Research & Development Lab in Les Clayes-sous-Bois, in the greater Paris metropolitan area (Yvelines), France.

The new 8,000 m2 lab, which hosts around 350 of Atos’ highly qualified engineers, provides a modern space dedicated to research in quantum computing, high-performance computing, edge, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Supported by the Ile-de-France Region and built on Atos’ existing site at Les Clayes-sous-Bois, which employs almost 1,000 people, this lab is another milestone in Atos’ strategy to develop and globally position the historical site of Clayes-sous-Bois and the Ile-de-France Region as a strong center of technical expertise.

“Atos Quantum”, Atos’ quantum computing research program and the first major quantum industry program in Europe, benefits from an investment of €5 million from the Ile-de-France Region as part of its ‘Smart Industry’ strategy, adopted in July 2017.

Innovation to support the fight against global warming

Decarbonization is a key priority for Atos. The company is committed to reducing the global carbon emissions under its control and influence by 50% by 2025 and to achieve “zero net emissions”, by 2028.

The research developed in this new laboratory, meeting the highest environmental standards, will focus on innovation to support the fight against global warming, such as using quantum calculation or the energy efficiency of supercomputers to accelerate society’s journey to carbon neutrality. Another example is the development of a ‘supercomputer brain’ that will be able to predict and optimize energy consumption based on the workload and the energy available in the electricity providers’ grids.

Inauguration Ceremony

The inauguration ceremony saw Valérie Pécresse, President of the Ile-de-France Regional Council say: “I am proud to be part of this development of the industry of the future in the Ile-de-France Region. This new building and investment show that we are preparing the future right here, right now. We are committed to making the Ile-de-France Region a territory of innovation, a digital leader at the heart of the economic fabric.

This new R&D lab is in line with our plans to promote the implementation and development of strategic technologies, in particular quantum computing, in the Ile-de-France Region.”

“In partnership with the Ile-de-France Region, I am thrilled to officially open our new R&D Lab today which illustrates more than 50 years of research work carried out at our historical site of Clayes-sous-Bois. From this symbolic site we will drive forward our ambitious quantum computing program and develop strategic technologies, products and solutions that will be sold worldwide, and that will help shape a safe, decarbonized future” said Elie Girard, CEO Atos.

Atos Quantum: a global program

The R&D lab will accommodate the research work conducted as part of the Atos Quantum program, launched in 2016, which aims to accelerate the development of scientific and industry-relevant quantum computing use-cases.

Atos researchers developed the Atos Quantum Learning Machine (Atos QLM), the world’s highest-performing commercially available quantum simulator, which is already being used in numerous countries worldwide including Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK and the United States, empowering major research programs in various sectors like industry or energy.

Atos also recently launched “Q-score”, the first universal quantum metrics, applicable to all programmable quantum processors, measures a quantum system’s effectiveness at handling real-life problems, rather than simply measuring its theoretical performance.

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 105,000 employees and annual revenue of over € 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 71 countries. www.atos.net

The Île-de-France region plays a driving role for employment and French growth, both in terms of its economic weight and its influence. Leading economic region in Europe and third in the world, behind Tokyo and New York, the Île-de-France is a territory of innovation, which concentrates 40% of France’s R&D activities, and which benefits from an international attractiveness.

The Île-de-France region acts in most of the areas that concern the daily life of the 12 million Franciliens: transport, but also high schools, economic development, the environment etc. In a space that covers 2% of the French territory but brings together 18% of its population and nearly 30% of the national GDP, the Region leads a development policy that places innovation and environment at its heart.