Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.
Worth €7.6 billion (in current prices), the Programme is a part of the next long-term EU budget, (the Multiannual Financial Framework), and it covers 2021 to 2027. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.
The Programme is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market – for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The objective of this topic is twofold. On one hand to deploy advanced national quantum systems and networks for testing quantum communication technologies and for integrating them with existing communication networks. On the other hand to use these quantum systems and networks for developing and testing use cases in support of national QCI initiatives in the context of the EuroQCI initiative. This support is needed to contribute to European technological autonomy in the highly strategic field of quantum communication technologies.
Detailed Call Description
In each participating Member State, the project should include the following activities:
Deploying advanced experimental quantum systems and networks combining the best of quantum and classical security technologies. Where possible, using pilot devices, technologies and systems developed and manufactured in the EU, in order to support their further development towards maturity and their compliance with the EuroQCI’s security needs. Making these systems and networks widely available for undertaking and testing (in a number of real use cases) the functioning and the provision of very high security QKD components and systems, their interoperability and the end-to-end secure functioning of the system architecture.
The aim is to prepare the large-scale uptake and use of such systems and technologies, operating in traditional telecommunications networks (including, where relevant, existing TESTA infrastructure) by national stakeholders and their first use in advanced use cases in different application scenarios:
- targeting firstly public use cases by linking public authorities within the country;
- making these quantum networks available to industries operating the network’s different layers contributing to developing national-based production chains for supplying critical quantum communication components and systems. This includes the integration of quantum and traditional cybersecurity systems in communication systems and networks (possibly also supported by post-quantum algorithms), which will be used to prepare for the future large-scale deployment of EuroQCI;
- making these quantum systems and networks available for educational purposes providing a training environment for technical and research staff as well as national users from public authorities or other organisations and othersenarios (see page 9-10)
Targeted stakeholders: Public authorities in the Member States financing national players to implement the deployment.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
Simple Grants: 50%
Thematic Categories
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Telecommunications
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Educational Institutions
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
- Training Centres
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein)
For the consortium composition see the details of the specific topic, in the Call document.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
It will be announced soon.
(Publish Date: 18/11/2021-for internal use only)