Italian Court Blocks IBM's €61M Quantum Contract Amid Bidding Irregularities

An Italian court has upheld the cancellation of a €61.2 million contract awarded to IBM Italia for Campania's first quantum computer.

The Council of State rejected an appeal by the regional government and confirmed an earlier ruling that found problems with how the bidding process was handled.

The original deadline for bids was February 10, 2025, but the regional government extended it to February 17, just hours before the deadline.

Tea Tek, a Naples-based company, challenged the decision and argued that they had effectively withdrawn their original proposal by submitting additional bids during the extended period.

The Council of State rejected this argument and viewed those submissions as part of a legitimate competitive strategy.