EuroHPC opens €119M in six quantum calls covering computing, QKD and testing

The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has opened six funding calls totalling €119 million to accelerate quantum technologies in Europe, according to HPCwire. All six calls opened on 13 August 2026 and share a single application deadline of 17 November 2026 at 17:00 CET, with successful projects expected to run for three and a half years under the Horizon Europe programme.

Three platform calls aim at thousand-qubit machines

Half of the calls target quantum computing hardware across three competing physical platforms, each backed by €20 million.

The trapped-ion call (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-TIPT-09) asks for a full-stack quantum computer with more than 1,000 individually addressable physical qubits, built with integrated cryogenics, advanced error correction and standardised interfaces. The resulting machine should be coupled to classical HPC systems and reachable through cloud platforms.

The superconducting call (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-SPT-10) seeks a quantum processor of at least 1,000 addressable physical qubits based on chiplet technology, designed for long coherence times, fast readout and error correction. Beyond the chip itself, the funded work must cover cooling infrastructure, control electronics and software, and is expected to help build European supply chains for quantum components.

The neutral-atom call (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NAPT-11) is the most ambitious in scale, calling for programmable platforms with 10,000 neutral atoms for simulation and 1,000 physical qubits for computing, plus a credible path toward 10,000 physical qubits. It also demands operation fidelities above 99 percent, error mitigation and correction techniques, and demonstrations of quantum advantage in sectors such as energy and health.

Quantum-safe communications take the largest single budget

The next-generation QKD call (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NQKD-12) carries the biggest allocation at €24 million. Quantum key distribution uses quantum mechanical effects to detect eavesdropping, and the call pushes key rates above 1 Mbps over metropolitan distances and operational network coverage beyond 300 km at regional scale.

The call also asks for cryptographic frameworks that go beyond pure QKD, combining it with post-quantum cryptography, and for integration into existing classical and optical networks. Demonstrations are expected outside the EuroQCI infrastructure, protecting energy grids, cloud storage and industrial control systems, with industry and national network operators involved to meet telecom-grade requirements.

Testing and manufacturing infrastructure fill out the portfolio

Two infrastructure calls complete the package. The quantum testing call (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QTI-13, €20 million) will set up a pan-European open-access network of distributed testing facilities covering processors, sensors and photonics, together with interoperable testing methodologies, certification services aimed at SMEs and startups, and a digital platform for remote test execution and data management.

The experimental pilot lines call (HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QEXP-14, €15 million) is intended to bridge academic quantum research and the established pilot lines of the CHIPS JU. Branded Qu-Pilot, the action targets hardware at technology readiness levels 4 to 6, including processors, sensors and cryo-compatible packaging, with an emphasis on reproducible fabrication, quality assurance and certification pathways.

Why it matters

The €119 million package shows Europe hedging across hardware modalities rather than betting on a single quantum computing approach: trapped-ion, superconducting and neutral-atom platforms each receive equal funding, while quantum communications get more than any individual computing call. The repeated requirements for cloud accessibility and integration with classical HPC signal that EuroHPC sees quantum processors as accelerators inside a hybrid infrastructure rather than standalone machines. Just as significant are the conditions attached around European supply chains, standards and certification, an industrial policy play meant to build a manufacturing base alongside the machines themselves. Teams interested in any of the six calls have until 17 November 2026 to submit proposals.