Quantum Computing – Complementing the Quantum Computing FPAs with the Development of a Technology Agnostic Software Stack

Scope

• Quantum APIs and cloud access form the transition layer between users and quantum machines in the quantum computation stack. This layer includes general-purpose quantum software development kits that are used to implement quantum algorithms for both gate-based systems, simulators and quantum annealers. This call seeks proposals that address the creation of a cohesive software stack that is agnostic to quantum hardware, facilitating the development, testing, and deployment of quantum applications across various platforms.

Funding Information

• Budget (EUR) – Year 2025: 10 000 000
• Contributions: around 5000000

Expected Outcomes

• Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:
  • Establishing a universal, interoperable quantum computing ecosystem that supports diverse hardware platforms through the creation of a technology-agnostic software stack.
  • Seamlessly integrating quantum computing with classical computing systems, including HPC and cloud services (including the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking’s supercomputers, and the quantum computers and simulators already integrated into them), and demonstrating practical quantum computing applications by showcasing use cases that combine quantum and classical computing capabilities
  • Advancing the development of standardized software architectures, compilers, and simulators that ensure application portability and performance across different quantum computing platforms.
  • Demonstration of workflows that effectively combine quantum and classical computing to address complex computational challenges, providing clear examples of the added value of quantum acceleration or showing a quantum advantage.
  • Support for initiatives aimed at training software developers in quantum programming and developing libraries for basic quantum algorithms, including the integration of quantum error correction mechanisms.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities eligible to participate:
  • Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from nonassociated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
  • A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    • Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  • countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    • Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

For more information, visit EC.