Despite tough economic times, EU pledges not to cut quantum research budget
Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the euro has rapidly depreciated, a large amount of money has fled Europe, energy prices have skyrocketed, and the economy is in serious decline. However, this has not hindered Europe's diligent pursuit of cutting-edge technology.
Last week, during a discussion on quantum technology organized by the European Parliament's STOA Science and Technology for the Future group, European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager, when asked if Horizon Europe's funding for quantum projects was at risk of being cut, assured MEPs and industry that the European Commission would work to safeguard next year's Horizon Europe budget next year, and that it would not divert funds from the Quantum Flagship to fund other programs, such as Eurochips.
Margrethe Vestager
The European Chip Initiative is part of the EU Chip Act, a comprehensive legislative program designed to ensure that the EU can develop its own advanced and energy-efficient semiconductors.
The European Commission has proposed that the program be partially funded by Horizon Europe, but Vestager denied that the proposal would cut funds already allocated to the Quantum Flagship program, which works to expand Europe's research leadership in quantum technology.
Vestager said there is no indication that the Quantum Flagship budget will be cut and that "minimizing" the budget would be counterproductive. "We see the quantum flagship and the European chip program as two interrelated things," she said.
The quantum technology flagship is scheduled to launch in 2018 with an estimated budget of 1 billion euros. After a three-year acceleration phase that spent €152 million on 24 projects, the program entered a second phase aimed at bringing research results closer to industrial applications.
The European Commission hopes that the quantum flagship will provide a "quantum internet", connecting quantum computers and sensors through quantum communication networks.
However, there may be budgetary hurdles before these ambitious goals can be achieved. Thierry Botter, executive director of the European Quantum Industry Alliance, asked Vestager if the European Commission could guarantee that the Horizon Europe 2023 budget would not be cut in the final negotiations between the parliament and member states.
The European Parliament's Budget Committee adopted a draft resolution last week calling again for an additional €311 million for the 2023 Horizon Europe budget. A plenary vote on the 2023 budget is expected this week, which will initiate negotiations with member states that should be completed by the end of December in order for the budget to be approved.
Vestager said, "We will do our best to protect our research funding." However, she acknowledged that if funding becomes limited, the European Commission will have to engage in "difficult but relevant discussions" about which projects Horizon Europe should prioritize.
Vestager acknowledged that research and innovation is "one of the foundations of the European economic model" and that its place in the EU budget should not be weakened. The European Commission official also noted that the European economy needs to undergo a profound change to adapt to a more unfavorable geopolitical environment. The EU must diversify its supplies of energy, raw materials and rare earth minerals, Vestager said.
Vestager said, "For me, the fundamental thing is that we keep investing in research and innovation, we keep bridging the gap between research, innovation and industry, and we also keep investing in some basic research areas where I think the (quantum) flagship is very well recognized."
