Deep inside labs across Europe, scientists are working on machines that could one day cure diseases, design better materials, and build unhackable communication networks. Now, Europe is making a major bet that it can build these machines — called quantum computers — at factory scale.
Last month, a new project called Q-PLANET officially launched with €50 million in funding. The initiative brings together 28 universities, companies, and research groups from 11 European countries, all working toward a single goal: figuring out how to manufacture quantum computer parts the same way companies make computer chips today — reliably, cheaply, and in large quantities.
Think of it like this: right now, quantum computers are largely handcrafted, like bespoke suits. Each one is built by skilled scientists tweaking delicate equipment. Q-PLANET wants to change that. The project aims to create standardized blueprints and manufacturing processes for quantum chip components, so companies can eventually produce them on assembly lines.
The project is coordinated by Pasqal, a French company that is already a world leader in one type of quantum technology called neutral atoms. In this approach, individual atoms are trapped by laser beams and used to store and process information in ways that ordinary computers cannot.
Over the next three years, the team will focus on three key components: special lasers at four specific colors of light (461 nm, 698 nm, 795 nm, and 1013 nm), atom chips that hold and control the atoms, and tiny vapor cells used in atomic clocks and sensors. These components will be designed, tested, and refined through multiple cycles to make them rugged enough for real-world use.
The vision stretches to 2030. Right now, quantum technologies are held back because making them is slow, expensive, and hard to reproduce. Q-PLANET is one of six European projects tackling this problem, each working on a different type of quantum hardware. Together, they aim to give Europe control over its own quantum future — both scientifically and economically.
"This diverse project portfolio strengthens Europe's technological sovereignty in quantum technology and builds the foundations of a new industry," said Jari Kinaret, Executive Director of the Chips Joint Undertaking, the EU body funding the work.
In simpler terms: Europe wants to be the one building the factories that make quantum computers, not just buying them from elsewhere. Q-PLANET is a first step toward making that happen.