An initiative led by quantum computing company Pasqal has been positively evaluated under the Chips for Europe Initiative by the European Commission, the EU Member States, and the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU).

Dubbed Q-PLANET, the initiative will see Pasqal aim to build a quantum chip industrial pilot line over a six-year period with a consortium of 37 partners across 12 EU member states, including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.

In a post on LinkedIn, Pasqal said the project has a shared goal - unlocking the potential of quantum technologies to address “pressing supply chain and industrial needs while bolstering Europe’s quantum leadership and digital strategic autonomy,” with the group aiming to support the “industrial production of chip-based components powering scalable, reliable, and compact neutral-atom quantum technologies.”

The post added: “This marks the largest grant initiative ever led by Pasqal to date, and we’re grateful to our partners for the trust, expertise, and shared vision for a stronger Europe.”

Following the positive evaluation, Pasqal said the next step for the project would be a collaboration with the Chips JU and its partners to define the pilot line’s action plan and make industrial quantum at scale the “European reality.”

The Chips Joint Undertaking is an EU public-private partnership, partly funded by the EU’s R&D program Horizon Europe. Officially inaugurated in November 2023, the Chips JU aims to address semiconductor shortages and strengthen Europe's digital autonomy. It has a budget of €11 billion ($12.5bn) to be spent by 2030.

Other projects the program is currently looking to fund include developing technology for 2nm chips, establishing a chip manufacturing talent pipeline, and developing chips that use material other than silicon.

Belgian R&D company Imec is also leading a project under the Chips JU scheme. Dubbed ARCTIC (Advanced Research on Cryogenic Technologies for Innovative Computing), the project will see participants work together to establish a European supply chain for cryogenic quantum technologies, including cryogenic photonics, microelectronics, and cryo-microsystems.