Alternatives to Fast Track to Research and Innovation for breakthroughs in industrial technologies (Research and Innovation Action)

Expected Outcome: This action will consolidate Europe’s position in superconducting quantum computing through: Establishment of a full-stack superconducting quantum computer aiming at 1.000 physical qubits and QPU architecture based on chiplet technology. The system should feature a scalable and user-adjustable architecture, T1 coherence time above 100 us, gate fidelities (both one- and two-qubit gates, and read-out) of at least 99.9%, read-out speed below 300 ns, two-qubit gate speed below 20 ns. Demonstration of quantum advantage on selected industrial use cases, validated through benchmarking with best-in-class classical methods. Deployment of a cloud-accessible quantum system integrated with high-performance computing environments. Maturation of fault-tolerant quantum computing protocols, including effective quantum error correction and noise mitigation schemes. Delivery of a comprehensive, standardised software stack supporting system bring-up, calibration, control, benchmarking, and user access. Strengthened supply chains and industrial capacity in Europe for superconducting quantum technologies. Scope: The proposal should contribute to the scale-up and practical deployment…

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Public authorities, industry, technology providers, energy producers and consumers profit from de-risking of cost-effective essential value chains of those renewable fuel technologies that can contribute to domestic commercial fuel production beyond 2030 customized to their needs, from improved access to better financing exploiting synergies across funding schemes, and from more effective market uptake, business models, increased competitiveness, and commercialization opportunities. Energy producers, clean tech manufacturing industries, researchers and consumers benefit from improved performance, lower environmental impact, security and competitiveness of ad-hoc renewable fuel technologies compared to existing ones, as well as new market opportunities. Community, public authorities and industry benefit from sharing the de-risking cost and reducing it by engaging several competing solution suppliers/technology providers in parallel, boosting transnational public and private investments in de-risking and attracting new players to tackle supplier lock-in issues The implementation…

Expected Outcome: The expected outcomes of this topic are : A common EU evaluation platform for AI chips and racks, with transparent KPIs, workloads and benchmark reports used for Chips JU selection and procurement decisions. First pilot deployments of European AI compute systems validated for EU sovereign partitions of AI infrastructure. Structured collaboration between buyers and suppliers, supporting deployment, integration and optimisation of European AI compute solutions. Stronger EU demand for European AI chips and racks, helping to create a market for deployment-ready solutions. Increased EU technological sovereignty across the AI compute stack for European datacentres.

Expected Outcome: This action will strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in quantum-secure communications by advancing core QKD technologies and integration capabilities. Expected results include: Development and demonstration of next-generation QKD systems, with a focus on cost-effectiveness and integration, with specific measurable improvements in one of the following parameters or features: (i) key rate (>1 Mbps over metropolitan distances), (ii) operational coverage of a network at the regional scale, >300 km for fibre-based QKD, including e.g. twin field and free-space links also for non-wired segments and for redundancy, (iii) development and demonstration of advanced quantum cryptographic protocols beyond QKD with provable security advantage over classical cryptographic systems. Implementation of hybrid quantum-classical cryptographic frameworks combining QKD and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), tested on clearly defined real-world applications. Integration of quantum communication components with network equipment and orchestration systems (e.g., software-defined networking). Validation of QKD-based security in high-priority use cases beyond EuroQCI infrastructure,…

Expected Outcome: This action will advance Europe’s leadership in trapped-ion quantum computing by achieving the following key outcomes: Establishment of a full-stack ion-trap quantum computer aiming at more than 1.000 qubits, fully integrated into high-performance computing (HPC) systems, and accessible via the cloud. Demonstration of quantum advantage for selected real-world applications, validated against benchmarks. Strengthened European capabilities to develop modular, interoperable, and scalable quantum computing architectures. Implementation and demonstration of advanced error correction and fault-tolerant quantum computing techniques. Integration of full-stack hardware-software systems with standardised and certified interfaces. Engagement with industry and academia through open access to quantum computing resources and co-design of applications. Scope: The action should support the scale-up of European trapped-ion quantum computing platforms, aiming at technological maturity and usability for industrial and scientific applications. In particular, the action must address at least two major technical roadblocks defined in the Strategic Research and Industry Agenda (SRIA…

Expected Outcome: This action will establish a pan-European open-access testing and experimentation infrastructure for quantum technologies, enabling systematic validation and certification of quantum components and systems. Expected outcomes include: Deployment of distributed quantum testing facilities accessible across Europe, including remote access and standardized test protocols. Provision of certification services aligned with future standardisation efforts, ensuring trust, quality, and interoperability of quantum technologies. Support for SMEs, start-ups, and research institutions in validating quantum components and sub-systems. Strengthening of Europe’s competitiveness by ensuring robust quality assurance mechanisms and accelerating the time-to-market of emerging quantum products. Scope: The proposal should implement the testing-related part of the action plan established under the Framework Partnership Agreement for Qu-Test. The action must include: Expansion and interconnection of open-access testing facilities in multiple Member States, covering a range of quantum technologies (e.g., processors, sensors, photonics, control systems). Development and deployment of…

Expected Outcome: This action will strengthen Europe's leadership and strategic autonomy in quantum technologies by advancing experimental pilot line capacities as a vital stepping stone toward future industrial-scale quantum hardware production. Qu-Pilot serves as the critical intermediary between academic research and the stable pilot lines under the Chips Joint Undertaking, offering a testbed for technological innovation, reproducibility, and manufacturability. Expected outcomes include: Deployment of experimental quantum pilot lines addressing diverse platforms and materials, laying the groundwork for broader integration into Chips JU pilot lines. Establishment of scalable and reproducible quantum fabrication processes, advancing TRL 4–6 technologies and addressing early-stage certification, standardisation, and quality control. Reinforcement of a pan-European quantum hardware ecosystem through shared infrastructure and open-access models, fostering participation from SMEs, startups, and research institutes. Demonstrated ability to accelerate technology maturity and feed critical feedback loops into future Chips JU stability pilot lines. Enhanced synergies with testing…

Expected Outcome: Deep sedimentary/basement reservoirs are usually characterized by low permeability, high drilling cost and a scarcity of data, as they are typically ignored by hydrocarbon exploration. Major exploration challenges relate to predicting deep sedimentary and basement reservoir structures and properties to identify suitable locations for reservoir-independent approaches, capable of overcoming the low permeability obstacle, such as Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) or closed-loop geothermal systems. Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Increased knowledge base for developers to unlock unexploited geothermal resources, increase drilling success rate, increase geothermal sources performance and reduce the risk of induced seismicity and deploy geothermal energy in a sustainable way in environmental (notably on biodiversity and pollution) and socioeconomic terms. Citizens and local communities are engaged and benefit from local, more secure and affordable renewable energy sources. Scope: Advanced methods, technologies and conceptual models, for different geological settings, to identify suitable conditions for geothermal…

Expected Impact: The resulting portfolio will not only advance the scientific state-of-the-art but also build a robust, interoperable, and application-driven community, positioning Europe at the forefront of trustworthy cognitive AI. It should also lay the foundations for future European leadership in safe, human-centric cognitive AI, supporting sovereignty and competitiveness in key sectors. It will support the ambitions of the AI Act [1] and the European approach to Artificial Intelligence [2] . Expected Outcome: Ambitious proposals put forward under this call will deliver: Models and/or architectures that handle multimodal data and knowledge, uncertainty, and can be trained and deployed with constrained computational resources Provable trustworthiness mechanisms ensuring explainability, transparency, fairness, risk evaluation, security and alignment with ethical and legal standards, including fundamental rights and the EU AI Act, and Demonstrate the developed capabilities integrated in a cognitive AI system (reaching TRL4) performing complex real-world tasks (e.g., scientific discovery, decision support, problem solving) as well as simulations at a scale. In addition, proposals…

Expected Impact: The resulting portfolio will not only advance the scientific state-of-the-art but also build a robust, interoperable, and application-driven community, positioning Europe at the forefront of trustworthy cognitive AI. It should also lay the foundations for future European leadership in safe, human-centric cognitive AI, supporting sovereignty and competitiveness in key sectors. It will support the ambitions of the AI Act [1] and the European approach to Artificial Intelligence [2] . Expected Outcome: Ambitious proposals put forward under this call will deliver: Models and/or architectures that handle multimodal data and knowledge, uncertainty, and can be trained and deployed with constrained computational resources Provable trustworthiness mechanisms ensuring explainability, transparency, fairness, risk evaluation, security and alignment with ethical and legal standards, including fundamental rights and the EU AI Act, and Demonstrate the developed capabilities integrated in a cognitive AI system (reaching TRL4) performing complex real-world tasks (e.g., scientific discovery, decision support, problem solving) as well as simulations at a scale. In addition, proposals…

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes: A community of EU civil security practitioners with common user/functional needs for innovative technology solutions is identified, supported by an industrial base, in particular SMEs and Startups, to access the public procurement market and scale up their business; Procurers facilitated the commercialisation of the innovative solutions developed by their successful suppliers by providing them with first customer references for the validation and first pilot deployment; Tested and validated capacity of EU technology and industrial base to develop and produce technology prototypes that meet the diverse needs of the EU user community, regardless of their gender, age and ability; Improved delineation of the EU market (including demand and supply) for innovative civil security systems that can articulate alternative options for uptake in function of different industrialisation needs, commercialisation needs, acquisition needs, deployment needs and additional funding needs (beyond R&I funding). Scope: As past experience shows that pre-commercial procurement opens up the…

Expected Outcome: The EIC STEP Scale Up call offers a total indicative budget of EUR 300 million for 2026, which is expected to rise to EUR 900 million for the period 2025-2027. Any unused amount from this budget will be allocated with priority to the EIC Accelerator Open call. The support will be in the form of equity-only investments managed by the EIC Fund. Applicants to this call will not receive a grant component. It provides significant financial support, and applicants should apply for an investment of a minimum of EUR 10 million and maximum of EUR 30 million, to co-invest in a funding round in the range of EUR 50 to 150 million, and at least three to five times the amount of the requested EIC contribution. The specific terms of each investment are considered and negotiated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines. This ensures the investment is tailored to your company's needs while aligning with EIC's objectives. EIC STEP Scale Up is designed to fill the funding gap for companies to invest in the scale up of high-risk innovations and where the amount needed for the scale up cannot be fully financed by other investors, including…