# Quantum Europe Strategy Canonical URL: https://digital-acquis.eu/initiative/quantum-europe-strategy Entry type: initiative Source edition current through: 17 July 2026 (2026-07-17). This is not a page modification date. Status: delivered. A delivered initiative is not necessarily legislation in force. Instrument: Communication Date as recorded: 02 Jul 2025 Date kind: date Status note: full date links only to published artifact types Promised timeline: Research measures: planned between 2025 and 2026. Skills and infrastructure measures: planned between 2025 and 2030. Record content updated: 2026-08-14 ## Summary **Skills.** The Strategy will launch a European Quantum Skills Academy - initially virtual, then networked - linked to Quantum Competence Clusters and Semiconductors Competence Centres. It will host a Quantum Talent Portal, fellowship schemes and “teach-the-teacher” modules to broaden participation and close the gender gap. Complementary actions include a Digital Europe–funded Quantum Apprenticeship pilot and returnships; Advanced Digital Skills Competitions from 2026; an EIC Researchers-in-Residence scheme placing scientists in quantum startups; and a European Quantum Talent Mobility Programme with fellowships for non-EU PhDs and professionals. Skills intelligence will track needs via the European Skills Intelligence Observatory, ensuring training aligns with fast-evolving industrial demand. **Research.** It contains coordinated roadmaps to speed research-to-industry. The Commission will publish an EU Quantum Computing and Simulation Roadmap, a Quantum Chips Industrialisation Roadmap, and a European Quantum Standards Roadmap, while expanding Quantum Competence Clusters to link labs, pilot lines and design facilities. It adds a coordinated European Quantum Sensing, Measurement and Testing Roadmap. To catalyse uptake, the EU will pilot two Grand Challenges (fault-tolerant computing; quantum PNT) and launch a Pilot Programme for Researchers-in-Residence in quantum startups. For dual-use and space, it will deliver a Quantum Technology Roadmap in space with ESA and a Quantum Sensing Space & Defence Technology Roadmap aligning civil-security priorities. **Infrastructure.** The strategy’s infrastructure track will strengthen secure networks, prove platforms, and link civil–defence use. EuroQCI expands 2025–2035 with cross-border terrestrial links, satellite ground stations and EU certification, converging with IRIS² for end-to-end QKD services. In 2026, a pilot European Quantum Internet will test quantum-safe components and early use cases alongside the EU’s post-quantum cryptography roadmap. Europe will deploy ground/airborne gravimeters and prepare a space-gravimetry pathfinder after 2030. A centralised network of open-access quantum testbeds will serve developers, startups and SMEs. An EU-wide Quantum Technology Risk Assessment concludes in 2026. Spin-in initiatives from 2026 accelerate defence uptake. ## Sources - [Official source]() ## Action items (26; complete published list) ### 1. Action item 370001 Amend the EuroHPC JU Regulation to extend its remit to all quantum technologies and,as a first step, transfer present Horizon Europe Pillar 2 R&I quantum activities into the JU [Q3 2025] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 1. Digital dimension: yes. ### 2. Action item 370002 Present the Quantum Act proposal [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 2. Digital dimension: yes. ### 3. Action item 370003 Publish the EU Quantum Computing and Simulation Roadmap [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 3. Digital dimension: yes. ### 4. Action item 370004 Expand the number and capacity of EuroHPC-based quantum computing systems [2026 onwards] and set up a monitoring framework for quantum computing [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 4. Digital dimension: no. ### 5. Action item 370005 Deploy the first EU-interconnected experimental quantum terrestrial and space secure communication network [by 2030] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 5. Digital dimension: no. ### 6. Action item 370006 Publish a Quantum Communication Roadmap [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 6. Digital dimension: yes. ### 7. Action item 370007 Launch a pilot facility for the European Quantum Internet [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 7. Digital dimension: no. ### 8. Action item 370008 Deploy a distributed system of gravimeters across Europe [2026 onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 8. Digital dimension: no. ### 9. Action item 370009 Publish a Quantum Sensing Roadmap [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 9. Digital dimension: yes. ### 10. Action item 370010 Establish a European Q-MRI Pilot Infrastructure and scale it up across Europe [2025 onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 10. Digital dimension: no. ### 11. Action item 370011 Establish six new quantum pilot production lines under the Chips Joint Undertaking to scale technologies from lab to the market [2025] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 11. Digital dimension: no. ### 12. Action item 370012 Release a Quantum Chips Industrialisation Roadmap [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 12. Digital dimension: no. ### 13. Action item 370013 Launch a quantum design facility [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 13. Digital dimension: no. ### 14. Action item 370014 Publish a European Quantum Standards Roadmap [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 14. Digital dimension: yes. ### 15. Action item 370015 Expand the network of quantum competence clusters [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 15. Digital dimension: no. ### 16. Action item 370016 Carry out and finalise EU-wide assessments of supply chain vulnerabilities[2025-2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 16. Digital dimension: no. ### 17. Action item 370017 Sign a cooperation agreement with ESA for the development of a Quantum Technology Roadmap in space [Q2 2025] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 17. Digital dimension: yes. ### 18. Action item 370018 Develop a quantum sensing space & defence technology roadmap [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 18. Digital dimension: yes. ### 19. Action item 370019 Contribute to the European Armament Technological Roadmap [Q4 2025] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 19. Digital dimension: yes. ### 20. Action item 370020 Launch spin-in initiatives to bring-in civil companies and academia for defence applications [as of 2026, onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 20. Digital dimension: no. ### 21. Action item 370021 Establish the European Quantum Skills Academy [2026] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 21. Digital dimension: no. ### 22. Action item 370022 Launch European Advanced Digital Skills Competitions in quantum [as of 2026, onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 22. Digital dimension: no. ### 23. Action item 370023 Launch a Pilot Programme for Researchers-in-Residence in Quantum Technology Startups [2025] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 23. Digital dimension: no. ### 24. Action item 370024 Launch the European Quantum Talent Mobility Programme [2026, onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 24. Digital dimension: no. ### 25. Action item 370025 Extend and launch new bilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives with like-minded countries [2025 onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 25. Digital dimension: no. ### 26. Action item 370026 Work with the Member States on a European Quantum International Cooperation Framework [2025 onwards] Provenance: source document doc-042, paragraph 26. Digital dimension: no. ## Referenced entries - [Quantum Act]() — status: forthcoming. The Act will make the Quantum Europe Strategy operational, fixing fragmentation by aligning EU and national programmes around a shared RTI agenda and targets. It sets EU-level governance and extends the Chips Joint Undertaking’s remit to quantum technologies, coordinating investments across EU programmes. It anchors a three-stage pipeline—Discover; Lab-to-fab via pilot lines, design tools and standards; Apply & use in lead sectors, while scaling pan-European infrastructures in quantum computing, secure communication (EuroQCI) and sensing. The Act backs skills and industrialisation, strengthens supply chains. It also drives standardisation and interoperability and fosters talent attraction. Source document doc-042, action item 370002: > Present the Quantum Act proposal [2026] ## Current developments Latest updates from Digital Policy Alert and Global Trade Alert. - [European Commission communication on quantum strategy of the EU]() — Digital Policy Alert; source updated: 2025-06-03; relationship: related context. ## Associated policy priorities - [Research, Technology & Industrial Capacity]() ## Broader policy context (shared priority; not a direct citation) - [Advanced Materials Act]() — status: forthcoming. Europe’s competitiveness in the green and digital transitions will depend on its ability to develop, produce and deploy next-generation materials at scale. To achieve this, the Commission will propose an Advanced Materials Act establishing clear framework conditions for the entire value chain; from fundamental research and prototyping to manufacturing and market uptake. The Act will focus on accelerating industrialisation, de-risking private investment and securing resilient supply chains for materials critical to clean technologies, energy, defence and space. By providing a coherent strategic framework, it aims to reduce dependencies, boost technological sovereignty and position Europe as a global leader in advanced materials innovation. - [Charter of Access for Industrial Users to Research and Technology Infrastructures]() — status: forthcoming. This initiative will standardise and simplify industrial access to Europe’s research and technology infrastructures so innovators can prototype, test and scale faster. It will set common, transparent access and contractual terms (e.g. IP use, pricing, liability, data handling) across borders and introduce a streamlined entry point for companies, including startups and scaleups. Linked to the AI Factories ecosystem, the Charter will be backed by dedicated EU support to make AI computing facilities affordable for SMEs. Complementary guidance will clarify how universities and public research organisations can grant access under State aid rules. Together, these measures cut fragmentation, lower transaction costs and speed time-to-market. - [EU Bioeconomy Strategy]() — status: delivered. The EU Bioeconomy Strategy combines regulatory, investment and market actions to support sustainable and circular bio-based activity. The Commission plans work on biotechnology, construction-product standards, biomass monitoring, bio-based plastics, public procurement, biogas and biomethane, and industrial symbiosis. It will also establish forums and investment arrangements, support blue-bioeconomy innovation, provide practical guidance for land managers, and pursue international cooperation, stakeholder dialogue and EU-wide monitoring. - [European Biotech Act 1]() — status: in progress. As a cornerstone of the EU’s Life Sciences Strategy, the law will make Europe the most attractive place for biotech by 2030 by speeding approvals and risk assessments without compromising safety, unlocking risk-tolerant finance and biomanufacturing scale, building EU-wide clusters/infrastructure, closing skills gaps, and enabling trusted AI/data use (incl. supercomputing and EHDS links). It tackles single-market fragmentation across health, agri-food, industrial and marine biotech, strengthening competitiveness and economic security. Expected impacts of the law includes faster time-to-market, deeper investment pipelines, resilient supply chains and environmental benefits, supported by strong EU governance. - [European Biotech Act 2]() — status: forthcoming. The proposed European Biotech Act aims to make Europe's health-biotechnology sector more competitive through easier funding, quicker regulatory processes and stronger safeguards. It would support industry, manufacturing and research, especially start-ups and SMEs; facilitate AI, data and digital solutions; simplify rules on clinical trials and cell and gene therapies; and introduce biosecurity measures. The Commission says the Act should help patients gain timelier, broader access to treatments and products. In 2026 it will address the wider biotechnology sector. - [European Centre of Expertise on Research Security]() — status: forthcoming. EU work is underway to establish a Centre of Expertise on Research Security, investing in the evidence base for policymaking and creating a community of practice. It sits alongside a due-diligence platform in development to help universities choose international partners. The Commission presents these measures as support for open but secure research cooperation, responding to risks including foreign interference, malign influence and misuse. - [European Innovation Act]() — status: forthcoming. It will create horizontal, Single-Market-wide conditions to accelerate deployment and diffusion of innovation. The law will (i) simplify and make rules more innovation-friendly (incl. regulatory sandboxes), (ii) unlock IP-backed finance and improve access to EU/national funding, (iii) open research & technology infrastructures to companies, (iv) make public/private procurement more supportive of novel solutions, (v) improve commercialisation of publicly funded R&I (i.e. IP, standardisation, certification), (vi) enable talent attraction/retention (e.g. employee ownership schemes), and (vii) establish EU–Member State coordination of innovation policy, helping to close the EU’s innovation gap. - [European Innovation Council (EIC) Reform]() — status: not recorded. The council will be reformed to operate more strategically and ambitiously, inspired by the US ARPA model. It will shift towards challenge-driven, staged funding for breakthrough, high-risk technologies, focusing on strategic EU priorities and research excellence. The reform will simplify procedures, strengthen the Trusted Investor Network, and build closer ties with Europe’s unicorns to improve policy feedback loops. By combining public and private capital, the EIC will accelerate the scale-up of deep-tech companies in critical sectors and better align innovation funding with Europe’s competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and security objectives. - [European Research Area Act & ERIC Reform]() — status: forthcoming. The Act Act will realise a “fifth freedom” by enabling the free movement of researchers, knowledge and technology across a single EU R&I market, anchored in TFEU Articles 179 and 182(5). It will (1) secure national commitments and new mechanisms to reach the 3% of GDP R&D target; (2) align EU–national investments and priorities around strategic technologies; and (3) upgrade framework conditions—attractive careers and mobility, open science and data access, a stronger legal basis for research infrastructures, and better knowledge valorisation. The Act will safeguard fundamental values, bolster research security, and clarify cooperation with third countries. - [European Strategy for AI in Science]() — status: delivered. Adopted alongside the Apply AI Strategy, this initiative fast-tracks responsible AI uptake across disciplines and builds the foundations of RAISE (i.e. a virtual European institute that pools talent, compute, data and funding for “science for AI” and “AI in science”). It launches Thematic Networks of Excellence and RAISE Doctoral Networks; secures priority access to EuroHPC AI Factories and future AI Gigafactories; and links Data Labs with EOSC and other data spaces. Ethics-by-design guidance and “living” rules govern use, while ERA-based coordination, indicators and summits align Member States and industry. Horizon Europe anchors early actions and an investment agenda for 2026-27. - [European Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures]() — status: delivered. The strategy aims to improve Europe's research and technology infrastructure capacity, investment and access. It covers criteria and roadmaps for infrastructures of European interest, funding coordination, upgrades, transnational collaboration and services for startups and scaleups. It also addresses FAIR and AI-ready research data, an enhanced EOSC Federation, coordinated governance, skills, international partnerships, resilience, and trusted storage, processing and sharing of critical data. - [Horizon Europe 2026-2027]() — status: not recorded. The next work programme will channel major investments into Europe’s industrial and scientific transformation. A €600 million flagship call under the Clean Industrial Deal will bridge R&I and deployment, fostering synergies with the Innovation Fund and supporting fusion through new PPPs. In life sciences, the Commission will establish a network of ATMP Centres of Excellence (€4 million), pilot stepwise collaborative health research funding, and invest €50 million in multi-modal genAI for biomedical research. €170 million will support a new health–climate agenda, complemented by global research collaboration and foresight on life sciences skills. - [Life Sciences Strategy]() — status: delivered. The Life Sciences Strategy addresses fragmented funding and innovation systems, regulatory complexity and slow market uptake. Its actions include the Biotech Act, coordinated work on new biomedical research methods, a research and innovation agenda for food systems, and a data assembly for cross-regulatory cooperation. The Commission presents these measures as support for innovation, economic growth and job creation in European life sciences. - [RAISE – European AI Research Council]() — status: not recorded. RAISE has entered a pilot phase as the Resource for Artificial Intelligence Science in Europe. The European Commission and the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU organised the European AI in Science Summit in Copenhagen, where Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva announced its launch. --- [Reading guide and interpretation notes]() · [Methodology]()