The Quantum Technologies Flagship, officially launched on 29 October 2018 in Vienna, is a EUR 1 billion initiative, supported by the European Commission and Member States, funding over 5,000 of Europe's leading Quantum Technologies researchers over the next ten years and aiming at placing Europe at the forefront of the second quantum revolution. Its long-term vision is to develop a quantum web, where quantum computers, simulators and sensors are interconnected via quantum communication networks. This will help kick-starting a competitive European quantum industry transforming research results into commercial applications and disruptive technologies. \nThe Joint Research Center (JRC) in cooperation with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), European Commission’s Directorate General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), and the German Institute of Standardisation (DIN), organised in Brussels on 28-29 March 2019 the Putting-Science-Into-Standards (PSIS) workshop on Quantum Technologies. The PSIS workshops is an initiative that brings together researchers, industry and standardisers with the purpose of facilitating the identification and screening of emerging science and technology areas that can be introduced early into the process of standardisation to enable innovation.\nThe experience with the innovation impact pathway of the Graphene Flagship that combined technology push and market pull by working with industry stakeholders was used to demonstrate the benefit of a strategic use of standardisation to increase technology readiness levels and reach the market.\nThe participants of the workshop identified aspects that would benefit from standardisation activities in three main areas: (i) Quantum Key Distribution and quantum-safe security, (ii) Quantum metrology, sensing and imaging, (iii) and Quantum computing and internet. Several existing standardisation activities focussing on quantum enabled security techniques, quantum computing and communication were also mapped. With the direct involvement of the participants, the workshop prepared the ground towards a roadmap of additional pressing technology fields where standardisation could add value to the deployment of Quantum Technologies in industrial applications, including security, sensing, imaging and measurement. \nAn active dialogue between the communities of researchers and standardisers as well as a continuous interchange with the Quantum Technologies Flagship would be beneficial for future interactions and cooperation. The Standards, Innovation and Research Platform (STAIR / CEN and CENELEC) methodology could constitute a straightforward approach to host interactions between the communities of researchers and standardisers.\nNext steps would be to start an interaction (e.g. a cooperation agreement) with the Quantum Flagship and in particular with the recently (April 2019) launched Coordination and Support Action of the Quantum Flagship. As concrete actions for standardisation, the workshop suggested to focus on the standardisation of a quantum technology terminology and on the development of an EU standardisation roadmap for Quantum Technologies. These could be addressed by a European Committee for Standardization workshop or by a focus group.
The Quantum Technologies Flagship, officially launched on 29 October 2018 in Vienna, is a EUR 1 billion initiative, supported by the European Commission and Member States, funding over 5,000 of Europe's leading Quantum Technologies researchers over the next ten years and aiming at placing Europe at the forefront of the second quantum revolution. Its long-term vision is to develop a quantum web, where quantum computers, simulators and sensors are interconnected via quantum communication networks. This will help kick-starting a competitive European quantum industry transforming research results into commercial applications and disruptive technologies. \nThe Joint Research Center (JRC) in cooperation with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), European Commission’s Directorate General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), and the German Institute of Standardisation (DIN), organised in Brussels on 28-29 March 2019 the Putting-Science-Into-Standards (PSIS) workshop on Quantum Technologies. The PSIS workshops is an initiative that brings together researchers, industry and standardisers with the purpose of facilitating the identification and screening of emerging science and technology areas that can be introduced early into the process of standardisation to enable innovation.\nThe experience with the innovation impact pathway of the Graphene Flagship that combined technology push and market pull by working with industry stakeholders was used to demonstrate the benefit of a strategic use of standardisation to increase technology readiness levels and reach the market.\nThe participants of the workshop identified aspects that would benefit from standardisation activities in three main areas: (i) Quantum Key Distribution and quantum-safe security, (ii) Quantum metrology, sensing and imaging, (iii) and Quantum computing and internet. Several existing standardisation activities focussing on quantum enabled security techniques, quantum computing and communication were also mapped. With the direct involvement of the participants, the workshop prepared the ground towards a roadmap of additional pressing technology fields where standardisation could add value to the deployment of Quantum Technologies in industrial applications, including security, sensing, imaging and measurement. \nAn active dialogue between the communities of researchers and standardisers as well as a continuous interchange with the Quantum Technologies Flagship would be beneficial for future interactions and cooperation. The Standards, Innovation and Research Platform (STAIR / CEN and CENELEC) methodology could constitute a straightforward approach to host interactions between the communities of researchers and standardisers.\nNext steps would be to start an interaction (e.g. a cooperation agreement) with the Quantum Flagship and in particular with the recently (April 2019) launched Coordination and Support Action of the Quantum Flagship. As concrete actions for standardisation, the workshop suggested to focus on the standardisation of a quantum technology terminology and on the development of an EU standardisation roadmap for Quantum Technologies. These could be addressed by a European Committee for Standardization workshop or by a focus group.
Abstract The Second Quantum Revolution facilitates the engineering of new classes of sensors, communication technologies, and computers with unprecedented capabilities. Supply chains for quantum technologies are emerging, some focused on commercially available components for enabling technologies and/or quantum-technologies research infrastructures, others with already higher technology-readiness levels, near to the market. In 2018, the European Commission has launched its large-scale and long-term Quantum Flagship research initiative to support and foster the creation and development of a competitive European quantum technologies industry, as well as the consolidation and expansion of leadership and excellence in European quantum technology research. One of the measures to achieve an accelerated development and uptake has been identified by the Quantum Flagship in its Strategic Research Agenda: The promotion of coordinated, dedicated standardisation and certification efforts. Standardisation is indeed of paramount importance to facilitate the growth of new technologies, and the development of efficient and effective supply chains. The harmonisation of technologies, methodologies, and interfaces enables interoperable products, innovation, and competition, all leading to structuring and hence growth of markets. As quantum technologies mature, the time has come to start thinking about further standardisation needs. This article presents insights on standardisation for quantum technologies from the perspective of the CEN-CENELEC Focus Group on Quantum Technologies (FGQT), which was established in June 2020 to coordinate and support the development of standards relevant for European industry and research.
Over the past two years, a comprehensive strategy for quantum technology in Europe has been created by the joint effort of academia and the business sector with community support from all over the continent.By building on that, Europe is making the next big leap with the first wave of pioneering projects launched in October 2018, sending a clear global signal that we will do our very best to retain the historic lead in quantum sciences.Building on Europe's rich scientific heritage and the strong quantum community, the Quantum Technology Flagship was launched by the European Commission with a €1 billion budget.The ambitious initiative will support over 5,000 of Europe's leading researchers over the next ten years.As announced during the official kick-off in October 2018, 20 projects worth €132 million will be funded in the initial 3-year phase via the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme.A solid indicator of success is the staggering number of proposals submitted for the first Flagship call: 140 consortia have requested almost five times the available budget.Over the decade-long course of the Flagship, over 150 projects are expected to be realised.The total €1 billion funding will foster the entire quantum value chain from basic research to industrialisation, thus bringing together researchers and the business sector.Four research and innovation domains will simultaneously be the focus of the European efforts: Communication, Computation, Simulation, as well as Sensing and Metrology represent the major applied areas in the field, which will also be advanced by breakthrough discoveries in the fifth, underlying domain of Basic Science.The Communication domain will foster the development of cheap, compact, faster and more secure random number generators, as well as components and systems for continuous variable quantum communication.Parallel to these, a blueprint for the pan-European Quantum Internet shall be created by developing all essential subsystems and giving the first experimental demonstration.Within Computing, two projects aim to develop quantum computers that are competitive with today's state-of-the-art supercomputers, either by realising a fully-automated ion-trap quantum computer or by building a machine with up to 100 superconducting qubits.The Simulation domain will push the already well-advanced neutral atom and ion-based quantum simulation platforms and address quantum annealing or optimization problems through full programmability.Parallel to that a quantum simulator platform made of ultracold atoms will be created, engineering a new generation of quantum cascade laser frequency combs characterized by non-classical emission and entanglement among the comb nodes.The Sensing domain will see the development of novel and compact atomic clocks, as well as the exploitation of atom-like defects in diamond to develop a variety of sensors and in magnetic resonance imaging to improve the detection of cardiovascular diseases.Furthermore, it will support combining state-of-the-art quantum sensor physics with MEMS atomic vapor cells, allowing for high-volume, high-reliability, low-cost deployment.Finally, within the domain of Basic Science, seven projects will investigate a variety of topics and technologies, with a focus on microfabricated devices and photonic systems.Enhancing capabilities in quantum technologies will help create a lucrative knowledge-based industry, leading to long-term economic, scientific and societal benefits, while delivering novel ideas, tools, components, materials, methods and processes.By funding ground-breaking projects, the Flagship will enable "quantum leaps" in technology development over the next decade, which in turn will lead to establishing markets within and wealth creation even beyond the European quantum ecosystem.Currently Europe is still at the leading edge of quantum technologies worldwide.However, this might rapidly change, as the demand for technology and talent is increasing at an unprecedented pace around the globe due to the promising future of quantum applications.Governments of industry powerhouse nations like the USA or China, as well as corporations such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, Alibaba, and Tencent are already investing substantial amounts to unleash quantum technologies' potential.
As the first applications leap out of research laboratories toward commercialization, the global race for dominance in the maturing field of quantum technologies is becoming ever fiercer. To retain its historical lead and kick-start a continent-wide quantum-driven industry and accelerate market take-up, Europe has launched the Quantum Flagship, an ambitious €1 billion, 10 year endeavor. This article provides an overview of the underlying considerations and the current state of the initiative. Furthermore, it briefly presents the 20 projects selected to be at the core of the ramp-up phase of the initiative, which will address core applications of quantum technologies such as communications, computing, simulation, as well as sensing and metrology, all of which are supported by basic science. Finally, we present the broader ecosystem of European funding instruments and institutions which aim to create the next generation of disruptive technologies within quantum sciences, placing Europe as a worldwide knowledge-based industrial and technological leader in this innovative field.
Quantum technologies are increasingly recognized as a disruptive frontier that will shape the next generation of industrial strategies. Developments in quantum computing, communication, and sensing promise not only technical breakthroughs but also significant economic and geopolitical consequences. Quantum computing can accelerate drug discovery, materials research, and complex optimization, while quantum communication opens new possibilities for secure data transfer beyond the reach of classical encryption. According to European Commission Reports and National Quantum Initiative Act, leading economies are already investing heavily: the European Union has committed over €1 billion to its Quantum Flagship program, while the United States launched the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018 to coordinate research and industrial applications. These initiatives underscore the strategic nature of the field. For industrial policy, they also raise important questions: How should governments design roadmaps that foster public–private collaboration? What forms of regulation or incentives are needed to align innovation with competitiveness and security? At the same time, quantum technologies could support sustainability goals, for example through energy-efficient algorithms and advanced climate modeling. Positioning quantum technologies not only as an enabler but as a driver of future industrial policy is essential. Unlike incremental innovations, quantum breakthroughs will actively shape the direction of national strategies, global competitiveness, and sustainability agendas. Recognizing this driver role ensures that policymakers and industries move beyond adaptation, taking a proactive stance in designing resilient and forward-looking industrial ecosystems.
Abstract Quantum technologies, such as quantum communication, computation, simulation as well as sensors and metrology, address and manipulate individual quantum states and make use of superposition and entanglement. Both companies and governments have realised the high disruptive potential of this technology. Consequently, the European Commission has announced an ambitious flagship programme to start in 2018. Here, we sum up the history leading to the quantum technologies flagship programme and outline its envisioned goals and structure. We also give an overview of the strategic research agenda for quantum communication, which the flagship will pursue during its 10-year runtime.