In an effort to avoid being outmanoeuvred by ruthless adversaries in Asia and America, Brussels turns to computing coherence. The European Union’s executive introduced an ambitious plan to that end on Thursday.

The European Commission has unveiled a plan to make the EU a world leader in quantum technologies by 2030. The strategy seeks to build a sovereign ecosystem that converts scientific breakthroughs into industrial and security applications, slashing reliance on external tech powers. It targets five areas: research, infrastructure, ecosystem development, space and dual-use technologies, and skills. Quantum computing, which harnesses subatomic physics for exponential leaps in processing power, could revolutionise industries from drug discovery to encryption. The Commission forecasts a global quantum market exceeding €155bn by 2040, generating thousands of high-skilled EU jobs.

Chips with everything

Central to the plan is bridging the gap between lab prototypes and commercial products. A €50m quantum-design facility and six pilot chip-production lines will transform research into manufacturable hardware. A pilot “Quantum Internet” will test ultra-secure communications, while collaboration with the European Space Agency aims to deploy quantum tech in orbit. The plan prioritises dual-use applications—those with both civilian and military potential—especially for securing critical infrastructure and defence systems.

Europe has pumped over €11bn into quantum technologies since 2019, but its startups draw just five per cent of global private investment. The Commission wants to rebalance this. “We must focus more on private funding, because we are very strong already in public funding,” says Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s tech chief. The strategy expands a network of Quantum Competence Clusters and will launch a Quantum Skills Academy by 2026 to tackle talent shortages. A high-level advisory board, including Nobel laureates, will steer research toward industrial needs.

Qubits to lawbooks

The Commission plans a Quantum Act in 2026 to cement progress. The legislation will incentivise cross-border pilot projects and de-risk private investment in production facilities. Success hinges on unifying the EU’s fragmented research landscape and channelling public funding—over 80% of the bloc’s current quantum investment—into market-ready innovation.

We must focus more on private funding, because we are very strong already in public funding. – Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for technologies

Rivals are accelerating. America and China dominate quantum computing patents; both treat the tech as strategic. Brussels hopes its “quantum sovereignty” push will attract startups and scale-ups. Immediate goals include folding quantum projects into existing EU programmes, such as Horizon Europe and the European Defence Fund.

The gamble is clear: Europe must unite behind a coherent quantum strategy or risk rivals outmanoeuvring it in a field where the first to crack large-scale, error-free systems will gain a decisive edge. With China and America charging ahead, Brussels’ success may hinge less on cash than on knitting together a fractious continent’s efforts.

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What the strategy includes

  • 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.

Quantum brainstorming

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. An advisory board is to bring together European quantum scientists and technology experts, including European Nobel Prize Laureates in quantum. It will provide independent strategic guidance on the implementation of the strategy; it is to result in the aforementioned Quantum Act proposal in 2026.