EU Quantum Act must strengthen synergies between HPC/AI and all pillars of quantum technologies
CSC welcomes the intention to support research, innovation, investments and supply chains related to quantum technologies with an EU Quantum Act. The governance and funding models developed through the Act must reflect the fact that quantum technologies are convergence technologies: they must be developed alongside high-performance computing (HPC), cloud/edge compute, trusted data spaces, and AI capabilities. Europe already invests heavily in HPC and related infrastructures, and the Quantum Act should explicitly use these mature assets to accelerate industrialisation and European value capture across quantum computing, sensing, and communications.
CSC’s position paper on the upcoming EU Quantum Act focuses on four key themes
1. Creating coordinated policy measures
To support the mutually reinforcing development of quantum technology and other critical digital technologies, coordinated, multidisciplinary policy measures must be developed. In particular, policies must support exploring the opportunities presented by hybrid computing that combines the different strengths of quantum computing (QC), high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence (AI). The Quantum Act should emphasise synergies between HPC/AI and all pillars of quantum technologies, and translate that principle into joint roadmaps, joint calls, and shared infrastructure services.
2. Building on existing infrastructures
Existing hybrid infrastructures that already combine HPC, AI, and quantum resources must be scaled into a European-wide service layer based on tight coupling of research, industry, and infrastructure. To create early markets and medium-term value, the infrastructure hubs should run flagship pilots in sectors where Europe is globally competitive: climate and energy, materials, telecoms, manufacturing, etc. These pilots should be backed by demand-side instruments such as pre-commercial (public) procurement and reference deployments. The European quantum hubs must also be mutually interoperable and contribute to global standard setting.
3. Securing critical supply chains
When it comes to securing critical supply chains, the first step must be to create an EU-level “quantum asset and dependency map”. To avoid vendor lock-in to non-EU commercial products, it is key to promote open-source tooling for quantum programming, control, and workflow orchestration. Some layers of the quantum stack (e.g. self-sufficiency in building full-stack quantum computers) require strategic autonomy, while others (e.g. algorithms, standards, basic research) benefit hugely from open international collaboration. The Quantum Act should operationalise “open strategic autonomy” through EU-level guidance on export controls, IP management, and dual-use considerations.
4. Supporting fundamental research and skills development
While it is crucial to support the kind of close-to-market flagship projects described above, it is equally important to ensure favourable conditions for fundamental research that lays the foundation for future innovations. In addition, European quantum skills development must be supported by e.g. expanding STEM programs and centres of excellence, developing schemes for expert exchanges, research visits, and partnerships as well as leveraging European state-of-the-art HPC, AI, data and quantum infrastructures to attract and develop talent. Beyond technical skills, understanding the implications of digital transformation across sectors is essential.
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Irina Kupiainen
Irina Kupiainen is responsible for CSC’s Public Affairs.