COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT on QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Cloud Initiative Building a competitive data and knowledge economy in Europe
Date: 2016-04-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Subjects: EU investment, computer equipment, data transmission, information technology, innovation, new technology, scientific research, technological change

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.4.2016  SWD(2016) 107 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT on  QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Cloud Initiative Building a competitive data and knowledge economy in Europe {COM(2016) 178 final} {SWD(2016) 106 final}  
 
 
This  document  summarizes  current  issues  in  creating  industrially  and  societally  relevant 
Quantum  Technologies,  and  discusses  concerns  to  be  addressed  by  a  roadmap  for  turning 
Europe's global leadership in research into a future world-class European Quantum Industry. 

1.  WHAT ARE QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES? 

The first quantum revolution – understanding and applying physical laws of the microscopic 
realm – resulted in ground-breaking technologies such as the transistor and laser. The impact 
of this first quantum revolution on our society can hardly be over-stated. Now, our growing 
ability to manipulate quantum effects in customised systems and materials is paving the way 
for  a  second  quantum  revolution.  Its  industrial  and  societal  impact  is  likely  to  be  again 
radically transformative. 

Quantum  theory  has  fundamentally  changed  our  understanding  of  how  light  and  matter 
behave at extremely small scales. For example, objects can be in different states at the same 
time  ('superposition')  and  can  be  deeply  connected  without  direct  physical  interaction 
('entanglement').  The  second  quantum  revolution  takes  quantum  theory  to  its  technological 
consequences.  It  is  leading  to  devices  with  fundamentally  superior  performance  and 
imaging,  communication,  simulation  and 
capabilities 
computing. Some are starting to be commercially exploited. Others may still require years of 
careful research and development. Yet others we cannot even imagine today. 

for  sensing,  measuring, 

The  foreseeable  range  of  markets  and  applications  for  quantum  technologies  is  vast  (see 
Section 2). However, the main future quantum technology market is predicted to be a game-
changing  addition  to  the  market  of  information  and  communication  technology  (ICT). 
As stated by Prof. Anton Zeilinger, a pioneer in the field, at a recent industry round table1: 'It 
is my strong belief that within a few decades from now all of our future ICT will be quantum. 
There is no fundamental reason why it should not be.' This path is further corroborated by a 
quick  scan  of  companies  that  are  already  investing  significantly  in  quantum  technology 
research and innovation: Google, Microsoft, IBM, Toshiba, Intel, Lockheed Martin as well as 
by a survey of the European industry interest in quantum technologies from companies like 
Bosch, Siemens, Thales,  IMEC, Safran, ASML,  Nokia, Airbus  and Alcatel  Lucent  - all  are 
key players in ICT and its cutting-edge industrial applications.  

Quantum  computing  is  the  logical  big  step  beyond  anything  currently  envisaged  at  the 
high-end  of  computing  technology,  including  exascale  high-performance  computing2. 
Classical  computing  has  enjoyed  a  remarkable  increase  in  speed  and  storage  capacity  over 
several decades in the past, broadly following "Moore's Law". It is now well recognised, also 
in the semiconductor industry, that this will not  be replicated in future decades.3 Scaling of 
Moore's  law  is  approaching  physical  limitations.  Quantum  effects  are  now  beginning  to 
become  apparent  and  make  improvements  in  the  performance  of  conventional  ICT  more 
difficult,  also  in  economic  terms.  Rather  than  seeing  quantum  phenomena  as  a  limit  or 
nuisance,  Quantum  Technologies  make  the  radical  choice  of  exploiting  them  for  a 
fundamentally new kind of information processing. 

1 

2 

 Report from the Quantum Technologies Industry Roundtable organised by the European Commission on 
13th of October 2015 
 See  the  strategic  research  agenda  of  the  European  High-Performance  Computing  (HPC)  strategy  at 
http://www.etp4hpc.eu/strategy/strategic-research-agenda/  

3   See International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, in particular ITRS 2.0 (www.itrs2.net) 

2 

 
 
                                                 
In  the  long  term,  quantum  computing  holds  the  promise  to  solve  classes  of 
computational problems that would take current supercomputers longer than the age of 
the universe. The scientific computing that this will enable could bring about breakthroughs 
in for instance chemical process design, energy efficient materials, energy harvesting as well 
as  in  machine  learning/big-data  analysis,  with  applications  in  many  domains,  from 
personalised medicine to climate modelling.  

Data security and safety will also  be dramatically impacted by  quantum  technologies. On 
the one hand, some widely used data-encryption techniques will be vulnerable once quantum 
computing becomes available. On the other hand, with  quantum communication techniques 
data  can  be  protected  in  a  completely  secure  way  that  makes  eavesdropping  fundamentally 
impossible. Given the growing role of (big)data in science and policy making, and the central 
importance  of  data-privacy  and  security,  mastering  related  quantum  technologies  will  be  a 
highly strategic capability for Europe's enterprises, governments and citizens.  

2.  FUTURE AND EMERGING PRODUCTS AND MARKETS 

Devices and systems exploiting fundamental quantum effects are traditionally grouped along 
the  following  lines4:  Quantum  Sensing,  Metrology  and  Imaging  Systems;  Quantum 
Communication;  and  Quantum  Computing  and  Simulation.  Although  there  is  a  strong 
interplay between these domains in the underlying theory and physics, they address different 
problems  and  there  is  a  large  diversity  of  physical  systems  being  used.  Their  development 
and  exploitation  therefore  tend  to  focus  on  each  area  independently  and  to  advance  at 
different  speeds.5  Near-term  technologies  mentioned  could  be  available  within  5  years, 
notably for sensing, metrology, imaging and communication. Otherwise the anticipated time 
frame is 10 to 15 years and beyond. The future markets for these different technologies are 
going to be significant. For example, already in 2020, Quantum Communication could serve 
a market sized over €1 Billion, with a steep estimated growth rate of 20 percent per year.6 

Note that for almost any of the quantum devices mentioned below there are multiple possible 
physical  realisations.  For  example  quantum  computers  store  their  information  in  so-called 
qubits that hold quantum states. There are still several competing realisations of such qubits 
(cold  atoms,  electromagnetically  trapped  ions,  electron  spins  in  solid  state  devices,  etc.). 
Researchers  are  still  exploring  the  pros  and  cons  of  these.  They  are  also  occasionally 
discovering  new  ones,  often  first  in  theory,  while  it  may  take  years  before  they  are  also 
physically demonstrated.  

2.1.  Quantum Sensing, Metrology and Imaging Systems  

Quantum  sensors  use  quantum  effects  to  precisely  measure  physical  parameters,  such  as 
acceleration,  electromagnetic  fields  and  gravity.  Metrology  systems  use  quantum  effects  to 

“Industry 

Perspectives 

4 
 Adapted from 'Qurope: Quantum Information Processing and Communication in Europe' http://qurope.eu/ . 
5 
at 
See 
on  Quantum  Technologies” 
https://connect.innovateuk.org);  “A roadmap for quantum technologies in the UK” (UK Quantum Technologies 
Programme,  2015);    “Quantum  Technology  Roadmap  Report”  IfM  Education  and  Consultancy  Services, 
Technology Strategy Board and University of Cambridge, UK, 2014; and “Quantum Information Processing and 
Communication:  Strategic  report  on  current  status,  visions  and  goals  for  research  in  Europe”  (QUIE2T  FP7 
Coordination Action,, 2013) 
6 
 Market  research  media  ltd,  2014.  Comparable  economic  forecasts  are  published  in  “Quantum 
Cryptography  2014  market  study  and  business  opportunities  assessment”,  by  the  Institute  for  Quantum 
Computing, University of Waterloo (Thomas Jennewein, Eric Choi). 

(October, 

available 

2015, 

3 

 
 
                                                 
 
enable local, verifiable, reliable and robust calibration and measurement of SI (International 
System  of  Units)  standard  units  of  measurement  such  as  time  and  frequency.  Quantum 
imaging uses quantum effects  for pushing performance  and sensitivity beyond the limits  of 
classical imaging techniques. 

Some quantum technologies in these fields are already well-established, such as microwave 
atomic  clocks,  alkali  vapour  and  SQUID  magnetometers  and  Josephson  voltage  standards. 
Near‐term  technologies  include  optical  atomic  clocks,  quantum  gravity  sensors,  novel 
magnetic sensors, accelerometers, improved nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging and 
scanning tunnelling microscope, as well as single pixel imaging. In the mid- to long-term we 
will  see  quantum  magnetometer  /  electrometers,  quantum  gyros,  higher  precision  and  chip-
size quantum  clocks, new quantum-standardised SI units (e.g.  Ampere,  Candela), quantum-
secured imaging, in-vivo cellular and neural imaging and single photon imaging. 

Markets for such technologies include the exploitation of natural resources, civil engineering, 
quality and safety control, indoor positioning and navigation, portable and wearable personal 
systems,  healthcare,  telecommunications,  security  and  defence,  financial  trading  (time 
stamping,  certification  and  applications),  synchronization,  infrastructure  monitoring  and 
portable standard tests.  Quantum imaging is  now an active topic of research, with  potential 
applications in healthcare, biotechnology, infrastructure monitoring, security and defence. 

2.2.  Quantum Communication  

Quantum communication systems use quantum principles to securely transmit classical data, 
or  to  transmit  quantum  data.  Near  term  technologies  for  this  are  quantum  random  number 
generators  (QRNG)  for  secure  key  or  token  generation,  point-to-point  quantum  key 
distribution  (QKD)  for  secure  key  exchange  in  crypto  systems  and  sources  of  entangled 
photon pairs.  

Currently these technologies are limited to point to point communication over distances of a 
few hundreds of kilometres, at least when optical fibre or earth-to-earth free-space is used as 
medium, and loop holes for hacking have not yet been completely closed. Mid- to long-term 
technologies include “device-independent” protocols for quantum key distribution, based on 
entanglement, quantum key distribution over global networks, using satellite links, quantum 
memories  and  quantum  repeaters,  potentially  leading  to  a  new  and  quantum-secured  global 
Internet. 

Markets  for  quantum  communication  include  secure  telecommunications,  security  and 
defence, high-quality entropy (randomness) for crypto functions and  other online industries, 
on-line gaming, quantum-secured commercial transactions, user authentication, personal data 
security (e.g., medical, privacy).  

2.3.  Quantum Computation and Simulation 

Quantum  Computing  architectures  store  and  process  data  as  quantum  states  (Qubits).  They 
allow  radically  faster  solutions  of  major  classes  of  computing  problems  that  defy  even  the 
most  powerful  classical  computers  today.  Moreover,  the  physical  process  of  quantum 
computing  holds  the  promise  of  increased  energy  efficiency.  Whereas  general  quantum 
computers are among the most ambitious of quantum technologies, quantum simulators are 
easier  to  realise.  Quantum  simulators  are  quantum  systems  that  directly  reproduce  the 
quantum  physics  of,  for  example,  chemical  reactions  or  materials  that  are  too  complex  to 

4 

 
 
simulate otherwise (because they scale exponentially on classical computers), thereby helping 
to predict and improve physical properties of existing compounds and materials or designing 
new ones (for example, materials that are super conducting at room temperature). 

Near-term technologies include small-scale quantum computers and quantum simulators on a 
diversity of physical platforms (such as lattice materials, ultra‐cold atoms, or superconducting 
Qubits).  They  could  be  used  to  explore  new  quantum  control  mechanisms,  quantum 
algorithms, or for very specific simulations. .In the mid- to long term one expects universal 
quantum computers, quantum memories, devices for direct simulation of superconductivity, 
complex  (bio-)  chemical  reactions,  leading  to  for  instance  new  metamaterials,  improved 
batteries, solar cells and medicines. 

Potential markets for quantum computation and simulation include research, IT and computer 
industry,  Big  Data,  telecommunications,  defence  and  security,  real‐time  weather  forecast, 
finance, cognitive computing and control systems, materials, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, 
and energy efficient (e.g., superconducting or photosensitive) materials and processes. 

3.  EU SUPPORT FOR QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES 

After  almost  20  years  of  investment  of  around  ~550M€  in  EU  funding,  Europe  has  a  well 
acknowledged  world-class  scientific  and  technical  expertise  in  Quantum  Technologies.  The 
European  research  community  has  already  put  much  effort  into  structuring  its  work  in  this 
area around a common research roadmap.7 The Excellence in Science pillar of Horizon 2020 
is  well  positioned  to  support  the  most  upstream  research,  notably  through  Future  and 
Emerging  Technologies  (FET)  for  the  collaborative  effort,  the  European  Research 
Council (ERC) for the support to individual researchers and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie 
Actions (MSCA) for researcher mobility and training.  

FET has been pioneering Quantum Technologies since the 4th Framework Programme (FP4, 
1994-1998).8  In  the  5th  Framework  Programme  (FP5,  1998-2002)  FET  launched  the  first 
proactive initiative on the topic, 2 years before DARPA's first quantum initiative. Over these 
20 years, FET has made a total investment reaching ~250M€ in EU funding. Investment from 
FET has steadily increased over time, reaching 94M€ in FP7 (2007-2013) and demonstrating 
an  increasing  interest  in  the  topic  among  the  research  community.  Research  projects  have 
covered  a  wide  variety  of  quantum  technologies,  including  novel  sensors,  quantum  key 
distribution  (QKD)  and  qubits.  A  number  of  FET  coordination  and  support  actions  have 
further  contributed  to  establish  overtime  a  world  class  European  research  community  in 
Quantum Technologies. 

Research into the basic science behind quantum technologies has recently also received much 
support  from  the  ERC,  which  in  FP7  awarded  an  estimated  ~100  M€  to  individual  grants 
addressing  various  aspects  of  quantum  computing,  sensing  and  communication.  The  ERC 
portfolio  includes  notably  3  large  'synergy  grants'  addressing  quantum  technologies  and 
together representing ~35 M€ of funding. 

There  is  also  a  significant  investment  in  quantum  related  research  topics  with  the  Marie 
Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), both as Innovative Training Networks and as Individual 

7 
8 

 http://qurope.eu/content/qipc-roadmap   
 See e.g., FET Impact assessment 1994-2004 http://cordis.europa.eu/publication/rcn/200618745_en.html 

5 

 
 
                                                 
 
Fellowships  in  areas  such  as  quantum  computing,  quantum  information  and  quantum 
photonics (e.g., optical cavity systems and nano-optomechanical quantum systems). 

As  technology  in  quantum  sensing  and  communication  is  maturing,  funding  is  available  in 
the Industrial Leadership and Societal  Challenges pillars of H2020. Various parts of the 
Horizon  2020  Framework  Programme  mention  specific  quantum  technologies  within  the 
scope of their workprogramme topics. This is the case notably for components, photonics and 
for trust and security.  

The  European  Metrology  Research  Programme  (EMRP)  Joint  Undertaking  supported 
research on metrology from 2009-2013. Some of this work used devices based on quantum 
effects  which  received  ~10  M€  EU  funding  from  2009-2013.  This  program  has  now  been 
followed  by  the  European  Metrology  Programme  for  Innovation  and  Research  (EMPIR)9 
initiative in H2020. 

A number of European countries have expressed an interest in launching an ERA-NET Co-
fund initiative in Quantum Technologies under the FET Work Programme for 2016-2017. 
It is expected to mobilise a total of ~30M€ of combined EU and national funding. Already in 
2010,  a  first  joint  call  for  research  on  quantum  technologies  was  conducted  by  Member 
States,  with  the  participation  of  FR,  UK,  DE,  IT,  ES,  AT,  PL,  CH  and  BE  through  the 
CHISTERA ERA-NET project10.  

4. 

INNOVATION IN QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES: NOW OR NEVER? 

There  is  converging  evidence  from  around  the  globe  that  the  time  is  ripe  to  start  turning 
results from research in Quantum Technologies into commercial applications and products.  

For  instance,  although  currently  feasible  quantum  computers  are  still  too  small  (10-20 
coupled qubits) to compete with conventional ICT for real-world problems, they have served 
to test the basic principles behind quantum computing. Large ICT companies such as Google, 
Microsoft, IBM and more recently INTEL have embarked on ambitious developments, which 
indicates a real interest to explore the commercial potential of quantum computing while also 
securing a 'first mover' advantage over the competition. EU headquartered companies have, 
so far, not shown similar levels of interest for investing in such research.  

Several  quantum  communication  networks  are  being  built  or  are  planned  worldwide 
(China,  which  is  investing  ~85M€  in  a  QKD  network  linking  Beijing  to  Shanghai,  South 
Korea, Japan, US). In Europe, the commercial exploitation of this technology is being led by 
start-up companies (SMEs) such as IDQuantique, though also big companies such as Toshiba 
are  actively  field-testing  their  technology  in  Europe.  Today,  this  is  the  most  developed 
quantum  technologies  application  area,  though  specific  markets  remain  small  (finance, 
defence).    An  active  initiative  on  international  standardisation  exists,  with  ETSI  industry 
specification  groups on  quantum key distribution and quantum safe cryptography, in  which 
European, Asian and North American organisations work together. 

Quantum  sensing  and  metrology  has  attracted  interest  from  EU  industry  (both  smaller 
companier  such  as  MuQuans  and  E2V,  and  larger  companies  such  as  Thales)  which  sees 
immediate potential applications, for example for geological surveys, financial trading market 

9 
10 

 https://www.euramet.org/research-innovation/empir/  
 http://www.chistera.eu/  

6 

 
 
                                                 
or  higher  speed  network  synchronisation.  The  potential  for  chip-scale  atomic  clocks  to 
support  progress  in  timing  and  navigation  systems  is  also  critical  for  security  (see  e.g., 
European SME Spectratime). 

A  recent  survey11  shows  that  European industry  interest  in  quantum  technologies,  from 
big  companies  like  Bosch,  Siemens,  Thales,  Safran,  ASML,  Nokia,  Airbus  and  Alcatel 
Lucent, is growing though stated plans and ambitions remain modest. High-tech SMEs such 
as , Spectratime, E2V, MuQuans and IDQuantique occupy leading positions in their specific 
markets.  Europe’s  key  position  in  global  value  chains  for  semiconductors,  electronics  and 
optical industries makes further industry take-up promising.  

Several Member States have recently announced national initiatives to support research and 
accelerate  innovation  into  quantum  technologies.  The  Dutch  government  has  established 
the  QuTech12  Advanced  Research  Center  to  accelerate  the  take-up  of  results  in  quantum 
technology by industry (135 M€ national funding over 10 years). QuTech has attracted 50M 
USD in additional funding from INTEL and receives funding from further private companies. 
The  UK  government,  implementing  its  National  Quantum  Technologies  Programme13,  has 
recently announced funding of ~270 M€ over 5 years for 4 quantum technology hubs whose 
aim is to bring together scientists, engineers and technologists to exploit results from research 
into  quantum  science.  In  Germany,  the  government  has  made  research  into  the  "quantum 
repeaters" needed for secure long distance communication a priority with 9.5M€ of funding 
over 3 years and is funding research in the area of quantum communication and quantum-safe 
cryptography  within  its  research  framework  programme  for  IT-security.  There  is  also 
substantial  interest  within  the  German  research  community  for  a  more  encompassing 
initiative on Quantum Technologies. 14 

5.  TOWARDS A EUROPEAN QUANTUM INDUSTRY 

At  the  European  level,  the  strategy  for  bringing  quantum  technologies  to  market  is  still 
fragmented. It is clear that now is the time for Europe to consolidate its technological lead or 
else  to  see  companies  from  the  US  and  Asia  take  the  most  benefit  from  its  commercial 
exploitation. 

If  nothing  is  done,  then  Europe  risks  becoming  a  second  tier  market  player  (or  market 
follower).  European  industry  may  develop  from  local  niche  markets  while  US  and  Asian 
competitors may become dominant players, attracting a new generation of European quantum 
technology experts away from the EU. 

At European level, Horizon 2020 provides many opportunities for companies wishing to push 
for innovation  from  quantum research. The  current  Horizon 2020 Work Programmes 2016-
2017  promote  quantum  technologies  in  relevant  call  topics  under  LEIT  (e.g.  sensors, 
measurement, security) and to explore the applicability and usability of quantum technologies 

11 

12 
13 

 Report from the Quantum Technologies Industry Roundtable organised by the European Commission on 
13th of October 2015 
 http://qutech.nl/about-qutech/  
 National  strategy  for  quantum  technologies:  A  new  era  for  the  UK.  Quantum  Technologies  Strategic  Advisory  Board,  D  Delpy  (chair),  March  2015. 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-strategy-for-quantum-technologies   

14 
 See also C Anton and K S Ranade (eds.) Quantum Technology: from research to application. German 
National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering and Union 
of 
2015. 
http://www.akademienunion.de/fileadmin/redaktion/user_upload/Publikationen/Stellungnahmen/3Akad_Stellun
gnahme_Quantentechnologien_EN_final.pdf 

Humanities. 

Academies 

Sciences 

German 

June 

and 

the 

of 

7 

 
 
                                                 
in addressing end-user needs under the Societal Challenge of Secure societies. There are also 
opportunities  for  entrepreneurs  and  high-tech  start-ups  through  the  SME  scheme,  through 
Open  Disruptive  Innovation  and  the  proof-of-concept  and  innovation  Launchpad  topics 
within ERC and FET, respectively. 

The  support  for  medium-term  take-up  of  specific  quantum  technologies  helps  European 
industry  to  stay  in  the  game  as  a  relevant  player  in  specific  markets.  Indeed,  there  are 
examples of innovation from Quantum Technology research taking place already, especially 
in  quantum  sensors,  metrology  and  secure  quantum  communication  (see  Section  4). 
However, the start-ups have so far been slow to grow and are mainly limited to supplying 
niche markets (e.g. finance industry). There are at present no larger supply chains for them 
to feed into, neither are there many sizeable opportunities to roll out their technologies and 
products within large scale strategic investment projects in Europe.  

If we want  to  achieve  global  European industrial leadership in Quantum Technologies, 
then an ambitious coordinated strategy to support joint science, engineering and application 
work, including  IPR, standardisation, market  development,  training and public procurement 
will be needed. Certainly, Europe needs to maintain and strengthen its excellent position in 
research, keeping a broad scope and allowing the time it takes to advance basic knowledge 
and experimental proof of concept. At the same time, it is absolutely essential that European 
industry plays its part to realise the commercial potential of quantum technologies.  

The European Commission has initiated a series of dialogues with European industry and 
other stakeholders to foster interest and investment15. A “Quantum Manifesto” 16has been 
recently published with the support of academic and industrial stakeholders that call for a 
common strategy for Europe to stay at the front of the second Quantum Revolution.  

The aim is to converge to a broadly supported roadmap that will bootstrap a future world-
class quantum industry in Europe and to gather the necessary commitments for an ambitious 
initiative to  unlock the full potential of quantum technologies, accelerate their development 
and bring commercial products to public and private markets.  

What  follows  are  issues  that  so  far  have  surfaced  from  these  discussions  and  that  could  be 
addressed by such a roadmap. 

5.1.  Strengthening scientific leadership 

The European scientific excellence in Quantum Technologies is beyond doubt (as shown 
also by prestigious awards like Nobel Prizes) and should not be lost. There is a tremendous 
intellectual  strength  within  European  academia  that  should  continue  to  be  supported.  At 
individual-, group- and consortium levels, calls should stimulate the best to produce the best 
research, unrestricted by industrial or political priorities.  

The European quantum research community is very well organised and has put much effort 
into  structuring  its  work  around  a  common  research  roadmap.  The  specific  potential  of 

 Workshop  on  Quantum  Technologies  and 

15 
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/report-workshop-quantum-technologies-and-
industry,  and  Quantum  Technologies  Industry  Roundtable  13th  of  October  2015.  Other 
dialogues will follow, e.g., hosted by the European Parliament and by the Dutch Presidency 
(Jan-June 2016). 
16 http://qurope.eu/manifesto , published in spring 2016. 

Industry,  6th  of  May  2015 

8 

 
 
                                                 
different instruments should be maximally exploited, for instance through a coordinated use 
of  ERC,  FET  and  MSCA  funding.  Mobility  of  students  and  researchers  in  Quantum 
Technologies  will  further  stimulate  a  European  backbone  of  excellence,  covering  many 
member states. 

The  coordination  between  different  national  and  European  research  programmes  on 
quantum  technologies  can  be  improved  in  order  to  create  a  coherent  and  easy-to-navigate 
funding landscape for Quantum Technologies. For instance, the planned ERANET Cofund on 
Quantum Technologies (Horizon 2020, FET workprogamme 2016-2017) will allow to better 
understand the different programs at national levels, to avoid duplication, exploit synergies, 
and to better align joint calls with national or shared priorities. 

5.2.  From quantum science to quantum engineering 

Innovation from Quantum Technologies requires to address not only the scientific challenges 
but also the engineering and manufacturing challenges of bringing quantum technologies to 
the point of commercial products (referred to as 'quantum engineering'). Specific research 
is often needed to achieve demanding levels of quality, precision and reliability (for instance 
in materials processing). The skills and experience that are needed for specific realisations in 
Quantum  Technologies  are  often  residing  in  a  handful  of  academic  laboratories.  The 
difficulties to transfer and reproduce technical results, tools and software within an industrial 
context should be addressed.  

Specific  quantum  engineering  training  should  be  provided  in  technical  and  scientific 
curricula for a new generation of technicians, engineers, scientists and application developers 
on quantum technologies.  Vocational  training programmes should make sure that industry 
has  the  capacity  to  absorb  the  knowledge  and  skills  that  will  be  needed  to  bring  quantum 
technologies in-house.  

5.3.  Market finding and early adopters 

Non-technical  work  is  needed  that  looks  to  understand  the  potential  benefits  of  new 
technologies  and to  identify and clarify markets for quantum technologies. This  will also 
bring  a  greater  appreciation  of  the  opportunities  and  risks  that  quantum  technologies  may 
create to the companies and individuals that will actually buy, sell or use them. Citizen and 
stakeholder  engagement  will  prepare  for  future  uptake  of  technologies,  in  ways  that  make 
sense to them. 

A strategic approach that aims to cover major technological innovations and application areas 
early on can secure Europe's future innovation potential. This could be done, for instance 
through  a  systematic  survey  of,  and  continuous  scouting  for  the  anticipated  applications  of 
novel  quantum  technologies  and  by  assessing  benefits  and  risks  arising  from  the  new 
qualities associated with these anticipated applications (an upcoming JRC study is planning 
this). There have been attempts to do this, but mostly driven by the technology side whereas 
the  perspective  of  end-users  and  citizens  (imagining  broad  consumer  markets  for  quantum 
technology) are largely unexplored. 

Support should be made available to link up procurement by public organisations, such as 
the  European  Space  Agency,  European  Research  Infrastructure,  defence  and  other 
government departments, and international organisations to act as early adopters which may 
purchase and start to use the new technology. Quantum computing, communication, sensing 

9 

 
 
and imaging resources can thus quickly find a relevant and critical user base that, in turn, can 
drive  the  technology  forward  by  co-design  with  stakeholders.  At  European  level, 
instruments  such  as  pre-commercial  procurement,  public  procurement  of  innovation  and 
projects  funding  from  the  European  Fund  for  Strategic  Investment  (EFSI)  could  serve  this 
purpose. 

5.4.  A vibrant innovation ecosystem 

So far progress has been driven mainly by publicly funded research and technology push. A 
broader  innovation  eco-system  that  includes  academia,  industry,  investors,  entrepreneurs 
and end-users is not yet in place. 

A European-wide mechanism is currently missing to bring academic groups in contact with 
companies, put large companies in contact with small ones, and link the future supply chain. 
It  must  also  include  other  sectors,  such  as  private  equity  and  standardisation.  This  would 
stimulate  the  creation  of  networks  of  people  and  knowledge  flows  beyond  academia  that 
companies can mobilise in an open innovation spirit and when needed to support research, 
development  and  innovation  efforts.  Cross-over  between  industry  and  academia  is 
typically weak and should be encouraged, for instance by a more systematic use of the Marie 
Skłodowska-Curie Actions for Research and Innovation Staff Exchange. 

The  creation  of  spin-offs  and  start-ups  in  Quantum  technologies  should  be  stimulated. 
Given  the  high-tech  physics  that  is  usually  involved,  such  companies  face  very  high  initial 
and fixed costs (counter to internet Startups, for instance), and require an ongoing investment 
in applied research. Incubation hubs with dedicated technological facilities may be able to 
help  companies  in  their  initial  stages.  Also  partnerships  with  larger  companies  that  can 
provide access to tools, infrastructure, knowledge and clients should be stimulated.  

Access to capital is a common hurdle for start-ups. In Quantum Technology, where time-to-
market is long and initial markets are likely to be small, 'patient' funding from investors that 
can  live  with  high-risk  and  long-term  horizons  is  needed.  Investors  also  need  to  be 
sufficiently  knowledgeable  of  quantum  technologies  in  order  to  properly  appreciate  the 
opportunities  and  risks  involved.  A  specialised  Quantum  Innovation  Fund  to  finance 
quantum technology enterprises across the EU may be a solution, just like current investment 
funds specialise in specific industries and markets. 

There  are  many  opportunities  for  new  as  well  as  existing  companies  to  sell  quantum 
components  and  sub-systems  at  first  to  the  academic  market,  and  then  to  the  growing 
quantum  industry  within  emerging  supply  chains  of  quantum  enabling  technologies. 
Examples of such technologies  are  cryogenic systems,  single photon  sources  and detectors, 
entangled photon pair sources, materials (e.g. superconducting junctions), material processing 
techniques,  quantum  algorithms,  protocols  and  software.  In  the  longer  term  there  will  be 
routine  need  for  miniaturised  plug-and-play  quantum  devices  that  today  require  bulky 
laboratory  setups  under  carefully  controlled  conditions.  In  addition,  there  are  multiple  spin 
off markets for cutting edge photonic, electronic or opto-mechanical devices.  

There are still multiple technological options for achieving some of the most ambitious goals 
of  quantum  technology  (for  instance,  qubit  implementation  for  general  purpose  quantum 
computing).  Ways  must  be  found  to  involve  industry  in  the  filtering,  testing  and 
validation of different options so that choices made are also industrially and economically 
viable. This will also help industry to better understand what is of short, medium and long-

10 

 
 
term relevance and thus to orient their own investments and resources while staying aware of 
the full spectrum of possibilities. Public-Private partnerships where resources, risks, results 
and rewards are shared among participating stakeholders could provide concrete platforms 
for this. Within established options, standardisation will be essential to make supply chains 
work.  There  are  ongoing  initiatives,  for  instance  within  ETSI17,  and  active  involvement  of 
European industry must be assured.  

5.5.  Intellectual property 

Europe is ahead in publications related to Quantum Technologies, but it is patenting less 
than its major global competitors, led by the US. In Asia, alongside well established players 
such  as  Japan,  new  actors  are  emerging,  in  particular  China,  but  also  South  Korea  and 
Malaysia. 

North America leads the ranking in Quantum Computing, with big corporations such as IBM 
and more recently Microsoft and Google. Also, D-Wave, a Canadian start-up, is extensively 
patenting its know-how to develop its business. 

In  Quantum  Communications,  Japanese  patenting  activities  are  significant  alongside  with 
those from the US, having been driven consistently by big industrial players such as NEC and 
Toshiba. Malaysia with its national ICT research centre (Mimos) and South Korea (with SK 
Telecom  and  Korea  Electronics)  have  also  started  shaping  the  patenting  landscape,  but  the 
most striking emergence in this field is that of China. In the last five years it has become the 
first nation for number of patent applications in Quantum Key Distribution, at the same time 
as its quantum backbone link between Beijing and Shanghai is being deployed.  

The IP landscape constitutes a potential vulnerability for Europe that needs to be addressed. 
One  could  envisage  for  instance  that  funding  that  is  being  earmarked  for  Quantum 
Technologies  comes  with  a  clear  and  formal  obligation  to  take  account  of  the  existing  IP 
landscape, and to protect and pool intellectual properties for the benefit of European industry 
and  society.  Overall,  it  can  be  noted  that  while  there  are  many  scientific  publications,  the 
worldwide  patenting  activity  is  still  low  compared  to  more  mature  technology  areas, 
indicating a need as well as a window of opportunity to develop these emerging markets.  

These patterns of publication and patenting activity should be actively traced, as one way to 
anticipate global developments in Quantum Technological innovation. 

17 

for 

example 

 See 
Cryptography 
(http://www.etsi.org/technologies-clusters/technologies/quantum-safe-cryptography)  and  on  Quantum  Key 
Distribution (http://www.etsi.org/technologies-clusters/technologies/quantum-key-distribution). 

ETSI  working 

on  Quantum 

group 

Safe 

the 

11