The European Commission has launched its Quantum Strategy, aiming to make Europe a global leader in quantum by 2030.

The Quantum Europe Strategy is a response to the EU’s current laggard state behind the US on quantum tech, and includes a call for private funding to help Europe become a ‘quantum continent’ within five years.

The strategy highlights a Quantum Internet initiative as a foundation for distributed quantum computing and sensing, alongside ultra-secure data sharing. Already an established concept, the Quantum Internet would be a communications network that is able to move encryption keys and data between sites, automatically revealing any attempts at decryption.

As part of the strategy, 2026 will see the launch of a pilot facility for the European Quantum Internet, as supported by the Quantum Europe Research and Innovation Initiative.

The strategy says the facility would enable testing of key quantum-safe components and early use cases, alongside securing quantum-cloud services, distributed computing, and advanced validation environments.

Networking the Quantum Europe Strategy

For a five-year plan, the Quantum Europe Strategy is an ambitious one, made up of various initiatives of which some are already underway in the region.

The European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), for example, aims to develop a secure quantum communication infrastructure spanning the whole EU and its overseas territories, composed of a terrestrial segment relying on fiber communications networks linking strategic sites at the national and cross-border levels.

Pilot projects have included secure hospital-to-hospital transmission of medical data, encrypted communication between government institutions, and Quantum Key Distribution links for critical infrastructure such as power grid control centers.

The strategy also aims to establish a quantum design facility and six quantum chips pilot lines, backed by up to €50 million in public funding.

Looking to the stars and beyond, the Commission also lays out a space-based quantum technology roadmap with the European Space Agency.

With a call for private funding included, the 2030 vision may be actualized by current telco and network players in the region. Colt and Nokia, for example, announced in June a collaboration along with Honeywell exploring quantum-safe networking using satellite communications.

Also this year, Spain’s Telefonica has worked on QKD links between Madrid hospitals as part of the European OPENQKD project.

Deutsche Telekom meanwhile co-led on the design of the EuroQCI architecture, while Ericsson has been building a quantum key distribution network in Sweden since 2023.

With these projects 'in the wild', Europe's quantum ambitions may not be too outlandish, but whether the continent can leapfrog the US and Asia remains to be seen.