Insider Brief
- The European Commission has launched the Quantum Strategy to establish Europe as a global quantum leader by 2030 through investments in research, infrastructure, and industrialisation.
- The Strategy outlines actions including a joint R&I initiative, pilot lines for chip production, a quantum internet testbed, and a new European Quantum Skills Academy.
- It aims to boost Europe’s global funding share in quantum startups, support dual-use innovation, and prepare for a forthcoming Quantum Act proposal in 2026.
PRESS RELEASE — the European Commission has put forward the Quantum Strategy to make Europe a global leader in quantum by 2030. The Strategy will foster a resilient, sovereign quantum ecosystem that fuels startup growth and transforms breakthrough science into market-ready applications, while maintaining Europe’s scientific leadership.
Quantum technologies will revolutionise addressing complex challenges, from pharmaceutical breakthroughs to securing critical infrastructure. They will open new opportunities for the EU’s industrial competitiveness and tech sovereignty, with strong dual-use potential for defence and security. By 2040, the sector is expected to create thousands of highly skilled jobs across the EU and exceed a global value of €155 billion.
The Strategy targets five areas: research and innovation, quantum infrastructures, ecosystem strengthening, space and dual-use technologies, and quantum skills.
It includes the following actions:
- Launching the Quantum Europe Research and Innovation Initiative, a joint EU and Member States’ effort to support foundational research and develop applications in key public and industrial sectors.
- Establishing a quantum design facility and six quantum chips pilot lines, backed by up to €50 million in public funding, to transform scientific prototypes into manufacturable products.
- Launching a pilot facility for the European Quantum Internet.
- Expanding the network of Quantum Competence Clusters across the EU and establishing the European Quantum Skills Academy in 2026.
- Developing a Quantum Technology Roadmap in Space with the European Space Agency and contributing to the European Armament Technological Roadmap.
This Strategy aims to boost the share of global private funding that European quantum companies receive, currently at around 5%, to stimulate the growth of European startups and scaleups and promote the uptake of European quantum solutions by European industries.
Next Steps
The Commission will work closely with the Member States and European quantum community including academia, startups, industrial actors, and innovation stakeholders and their representatives to turn Strategy’s objectives into reality.
A High-Level Advisory Board will bring together leading European quantum scientists and technology experts, including European Nobel Prize Laureates in quantum. It will provide independent strategic guidance on the implementation of the Quantum Europe Strategy.
The Strategy will be followed by a Quantum Act proposal, expected in 2026, which will further strengthen the quantum ecosystem and the industrialisation efforts by incentivising Member States and companies, investors and researchers to invest in (pilot) production facilities, under the umbrella of large-scale EU-wide national or regional initiatives.
