IBM RESEARCH GMBH

Their core work

IBM Research GmbH (Zurich Lab) is one of the world's premier corporate research laboratories, driving fundamental and applied research in semiconductor physics, quantum computing, neuromorphic architectures, and AI. Their Zurich facility — famous for two Nobel Prizes (scanning tunneling microscope and high-temperature superconductors) — translates deep physics research into next-generation computing technologies. In H2020, they contributed advanced materials science, photonics integration, cryptographic systems, and brain-inspired computing across 118 projects, acting as both a research powerhouse and an industrial bridge between academic discovery and commercial technology platforms.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2017), IBM Zurich focused heavily on cloud security, privacy-preserving technologies (homomorphic encryption, secure architectures), software-defined networking, and HPC strategy — reflecting the industry's cloud-first era. From 2018 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward neuromorphic computing, quantum technologies (superconducting circuits, cryogenic electronics), advanced optoelectronics, and AI/machine learning, signaling a pivot from securing existing computing paradigms to building fundamentally new ones. The transition from "how to make cloud safe" to "what comes after classical computing" is one of the clearest strategic pivots visible in any H2020 portfolio.

IBM Zurich is concentrating on post-classical computing — neuromorphic architectures, quantum hardware, and cryogenic electronics — positioning them as a go-to partner for projects exploring computing beyond Moore's Law.

How they like to work

IBM Research operates predominantly as an active participant (84 of 118 projects) rather than a consortium leader, contributing specialized expertise to large collaborative efforts while coordinating 25 projects where they hold deep domain ownership — typically ERC and MSCA grants in fundamental research. With 665 unique consortium partners across 34 countries, they function as a major hub in the European research network, connecting to an exceptionally diverse range of academic and industrial partners. Their willingness to participate rather than always lead suggests they are pragmatic collaborators who join where their specific capabilities add value, rather than seeking control.

IBM Zurich has collaborated with 665 unique partners across 34 countries, making them one of the most connected corporate research labs in H2020. Their network spans nearly all EU member states plus associated countries, with particularly dense connections in semiconductor, photonics, and computing research communities.

What sets them apart

IBM Research Zurich occupies a rare position as a corporate lab that operates at the fundamental research level — competing for ERC grants and hosting Marie Curie fellows — while maintaining direct pathways to industrial-scale deployment through IBM's global technology platform. Unlike university labs that publish and move on, or companies that only do applied development, Zurich bridges the full spectrum from atomic-scale physics to product-ready technology. For consortium builders, this means a partner that brings both scientific credibility and a realistic path to market, backed by EUR 46.7M in H2020 funding across 118 projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PROJESTOR
  EUR 2.56M ERC grant where IBM coordinates research on projected memristors for cognitive computing — directly at the intersection of their neuromorphic and nanotechnology strengths.
• PLASMIC
  EUR 1.94M coordinated project on plasmonically-enhanced nanowire lasers on silicon, representing their deep silicon photonics integration expertise.
• WITDOM
  Key early project on privacy-preserving computation including homomorphic encryption — illustrates their foundational cloud security work before the pivot to post-classical computing.