It might take a while before Q-day, the day when quantum computers really mess with the internet, arrives. But that doesn’t mean companies and states shouldn’t start embracing qubits now. Getting on the qubit bandwagon early is crucial to staying competitive in the race for a technology that could change the way we perceive pretty much everything.
Encouraged by the ongoing talk about “digital sovereignty,” 11 EU countries inked the European Declaration on Quantum Technologies this week. Those who signed up have decided to sync up, work together, support each other, keep an eye on things, and all those other verbs that come with international collaboration, especially in the growing quantum tech world.
The gang consists of France, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Finland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Malta, Estonia, and Spain. However, the crew is still without some quantum trailblazers like the Netherlands, Ireland, and Germany, who supposedly skipped out because of the tight schedule.
“Quantum computing, simulation, communication, and sensing and metrology, are all emerging fields of global strategic importance that will bring about a change of paradigm in technological capacities,” the declaration says.
Also Read: Why is Europe not at the forefront of the spacetech race?
Ireland aiming to be a competitive quantum hub
A year ago, France, Germany, and the Netherlands joined forces and signed a statement to work together in quantum technologies. The goal was to boost collaboration among their national ecosystems and make themselves more appealing to the global quantum talent. Spain and Sweden are rolling out their own quantum national strategies, but as of now, only the Netherlands, Germany, France, Denmark, and Ireland have one already. Interestingly, four out of these haven’t signed the recent quantum declaration.
“An example of this is that only 5/27 countries have national quantum strategies, and while at least 16 countries have dedicated funding schemes for quantum technologies, quantum is largely perceived as an R&D issue,” Andrea Rodríguez, lead digital policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, told Euractiv.
In November 2023, Ireland unveiled its strategy for quantum technologies with the goal that “by 2030, Ireland is an internationally competitive hub in quantum technologies.”
In June, Denmark kicked off its strategy for quantum research and innovation, asking for one billion Danish Krone (€134.1 million). It gave it an update in September to emphasize support for the Danish quantum ecosystem. Denmark is set to house the upcoming NATO Centre for Quantum Technologies, featuring a test center, lab, accelerator site, and an incubator.
Germany betting big on quantum technologies
Back in Germany, two years ago, they revealed a €2 billion investment plan in quantum technologies until 2026. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) committed €1.1 billion until 2025 specifically for the research and development of quantum computers.
Back in May, Germany rolled out its fresh “Quantum Technologies Action Concept” with the aim of taking the lead in quantum technology, trying to keep up with China and the United States. They’ve put in a budget of around €2.18 billion to fuel further development.
France kicked off its national quantum research and development strategy last year, allocating a budget of 150 million euros for the next five years until 2027. The Netherlands was the pioneer in introducing its national quantum plan back in 2019, focusing more on building a national industrial ecosystem rather than aiming for research dominance.
It also mentions that the innovators and businesses in the bloc haven’t really geared up enough to fully tap into this potential, especially when compared to other parts of the world. So, it’s highlighting how crucial it is to boost our own research and development capabilities for quantum technologies and churn out devices and systems based on them.
EU’s plans to create a globally competitive ecosystem
Also, there’s a need to put money into the entire quantum lineup — from hardware to software, applications, and standards — to protect our “strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security.”
“The ultimate aim is to create a globally competitive ecosystem that can support a wide range of scientific and industrial applications, identify the industrial sectors where quantum technologies will have high economic and societal impact, and foster quantum innovation in small and large companies alike, from promising startups and scaleups to major industrial players — in short, to become the ‘quantum valley’ of the world,” the declaration reads.
Thierry Breton, known for his major push for tech regulations during his stint as Commissioner for the Internal Market, has announced that quantum is one of his “favorite topics.”
If he scores the top gig as Commission President next year, we can anticipate a stronger push for collaboration within the bloc. Maybe, Breton could convince more member states to team up for a comprehensive quantum strategy throughout the bloc. Given the scarcity of quantum engineering talent, this could be crucial to prevent Europe from falling behind in another crucial tech race.
Also Read: UK might soon be the world leader in generative AI for lawtech
Europe also wants to tackle AI sovereignty challenge
Europe’s generative AI startup scene is starting to form, although it’s not as well-known as its North American counterparts like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Cohere. Recently, Germany’s Aleph Alpha grabbed attention by securing a massive €460 million in funding, marking one of the largest funding rounds ever for a European AI company.
The European tech scene welcomed the investment news with some excitement. Despite the attention on how the EU and the UK handle tech regulations, there hasn’t been much focus on the bloc’s strategies to boost innovation in artificial intelligence and avoid falling behind in the ever-changing tech world.
During a press conference discussing the investment, Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck, stressed the importance of supporting local AI businesses.
“The thought of having our own sovereignty in the AI sector is extremely important. If Europe has the best regulation but no European companies, we haven’t won much,” Habeck said.
In the press conference, Jonas Andrulis, the brain behind Aleph Alpha, noted that the investors in the recent funding round—big names like SAP, Bosch Ventures, and the folks behind Lidl—have been long-term partners of the company. What’s intriguing is that almost all the funding, with just a tiny bit from Hewlett Packard, came from European investors or grants.
