Europe’s billion-euro quantum flagship hands out first grants
On 17th May 2016, the European Commission announced the new FET Flagship in Quantum Technologies (in the context of Horizon 2020 program), a ten-year research program that will involve all Member States with a total investment of one billion euros starting from 2018.
And, just last October 29th 2018, in a major institutional event held in Vienna, the investment program officially started.
The ten-year investment program aims to bridge the gap between Europe and the United States in research and the countless applications of the new quantum technologies of the so-called ‘second quantum revolution’, selecting among the various research programs the most promising ones even with the objective of facilitating the future inclusion of applications, which will result, in the European commercial market.
The Quantum Flagship is an ambitious European Union initiative involving the collaboration of 5,000 researchers, organizations and industries. In addition to professors and researchers, many representatives of the European institutions took part in the presentation event at the Vienna Hofburg.
The first phase of the Quantum Flagship provides for an initial investment of € 132 million over 3 years for the first 20 projects selected on the 140 total projects that have been evaluated. These include 7 basic research projects, 4 in the field of quantum sensors (and metrology), 4 projects on quantum communication, 2 for quantum simulation and finally 2 in Quantum Computing.
Recall that at the head of the coordination of the Quantum Flagship there is an Italian, Prof.Tommaso Calarco (of the Institute for Quantum Control of Forschungszentrum Jülich), which states: “The European Quantum Technologies community has worked long and hard towards realising this initiative. We are very happy that the first research and innovation actions are now ready to start with high momentum. Together, we will further strengthen Europe’s leading role in quantum research and transfer the insights from this into relevant applications for the benefit of all European citizens.”
Below you can see a list of projects approved for this first phase, further details can be read in the official announcement of the Quantum Flagship:
- OpenSuperQ: aims to simplify access to quantum computing resources and programming for this type of platform
- MetaboliQs: the creation of a system for the diagnosis of disorders of the cardio-circulatory system
- iqClock: the development of new tools for accurate and reliable time measurement
- macQsimal: the creating sensors to measure parameters to be used in areas such as autonomous driving and the medical sector
- ASTERIQS: the creation of sensors to measure magnetic, electric, temperature and pressure fields
- PASQuanS: the development of advanced quantum simulation platforms
- Qombs: the development of a simulation platform based on the use of ultracold atoms
- UNIQORN:aims to revolutionize the entire quantum ecosystem
- QRANGE: aims to evolve the QRNB (Quantum Range Number Generation) technology beyond the current limits for commercial use
- Quantum Internet Alliance: the creation of a Quantum Internet for quantum communication between any point on Earth
- CiViQ: the creation of data security services based on the joining of physical layers and cryptographic techniques
- MicroQC: the realization of a scalable quantum computer
- 2D-SIPC the creation of quantum devices based on two-dimensional materials with advanced capabilities and functions
- PhoQuS: the understanding of the dynamics of light quantum fluids for the development of a platform to be used for simulations
- QMiCS: the implementation of an architecture for the implementation of protocols for quantum communication
- S2QUIP: the design of integrated quantum circuits to be used for communication infrastructures
- SQUARE: aims to strengthen the European hi-tech industry for the creation of a new platform linked to quantum technologies
- AQTION: the realization of a scalable quantum computer based on the manipulation of single-charged atoms
- QFLAG: support for the governance of Quantum Flagship and monitoring of the progress made as a result of the initiative
- PhoG: the development of a compact and versatile source of light
