02-07-2025
Commission wants to align Europe-wide quantum efforts
Europe has an edge in quantum research but the Commission is keen to build on early academic advances via a strategy released today that puts the focus on the race to commercialise.
A lot of money will be made using quantum computing in the coming years as the technology is expected to solve so-far impossible data processing problems. But Europe's quantum efforts remain "fragmented across Member States and instruments", per the Commission strategy – resulting in duplication and competition for talent.
Standing behind the strategy is a worry that Europe risks falling short on quantum – "without coordination and a clear focus on shared strategic priorities," the document warns.
The Commission's new initiative for quantum computing aims to tackle this risk with moves to support foundational research and invest in new hardware and applications in 'key public and industrial sectors'.
This year, the Commission plans to launch six first quantum pilot lines to financially support projects from prototyping up to an industrial use case.
Public bodies like hospitals will also be encouraged to buy quantum applications through EU procurement schemes – as well as 'tailored financial incentives'.
More broadly, the strategy aims to coordinate the work of Commission and member states – to align efforts across the bloc.
The EU and member states are already building computers using a range of quantum technologies, making sure they'll have a foot in whichever one ends up being widely adopted.
Under the Commission strategy, existing quantum computers – such as the one inaugurated within Europe's high performance computing network just last week – will be expanded and new ones built.
The strategy also says Europe should be ready for post-quantum encryption by 2035 – as the technology is set to make conventional encryption methods obsolete. (Member States released a roadmap on this issue just last week.)
Within five years, member states should be quantum-linked to each other and to a network of satellites under the EuroQCI initiative, part of the IRIS² programme.
The Commission will publish its draft for a Quantum Act in the coming year, which is expect to set out fuller details of the planned programme.
EU lawmakers are responding to the plan by underscoring how quantum will have a critical role to play in boosting tech sovereignty.
For that, the Commission "has to make sure that the EU states will reduce fragmentation and support the scaling of market-ready applications," urged Matthias Ecke, S&D delegate in the Parliament's industrial committee.
(nl)
