\nThe Allied cracking of Germany\u2019s Enigma machine reshaped the course of World War II. Now, Europe is racing to harness a far more powerful code-breaking tool \u2014 the quantum computer, but it\u2019s running short on the software needed to do it.\n<\/p>\n
\nIn the near future, the quantum computer holds the power to impact sectors from defence, to health care, chemicals and more with hardware already more and more accessible.\n<\/p>\n
\nBut cracking the physical infrastructure is one thing. Cracking on with the software is another entirely.\n<\/p>\n
\nExperts, investors, and policymakers are increasingly paying attention to the code locked inside quantum computers \u2013 technology that could one day break cryptographic algorithms rapidly and upend the world’s digital systems as we know them.\n<\/p>\n
\nThough an array of developers across Europe work on hardware, the EU needs to shift focus to software development, says quantum engineer and researcher Olivier Ezratty.\n<\/p>\n
\n“If Europe overlooks the strategic importance of quantum software development, it risks falling behind in the global race,” he said, adding that the European Commission’s current quantum strategy is focusing too heavily on hardware.\n<\/p>\n
What is quantum, and why should we be good at it?<\/p>\n
While classic computers use millions of electrons to process information as binary bits \u2013 either 0 or 1 \u2013 quantum computers use single particles like atoms or photons as quantum bits, or so-called qubits, which can exist in multiple states at once.<\/p>\n
This may sound abstract, but is a fundamental difference. In practice, it means quantum computers can solve some problems far more efficiently than conventional computers \u2013 some requests that might take a conventional computer years could be solved within minutes or hours with a quantum computer.<\/p>\n
Across the EU, multiple companies are developing hardware at every level of the tech stack:\u00a0Germany\u2019s Toptica provides cutting-edge photonic lasers<\/a>, while Finland\u2019s Bluefors is a leading supplier of dilution refrigerators<\/a> \u2013 essential for cooling quantum systems close to absolute zero, a critical requirement for quantum computing. Denmark\u2019s Sparrow Quantum produces photonic chips<\/a>, and French startup Alice & Bob has demonstrated its ability to develop error-resistant<\/a> quantum computing.<\/p>\n \nIn addition to that, Finland\u2019s IQM is famous for its pioneering of quantum computers<\/a>.\u00a0 French cloud providers OVHcloud<\/a> and Scaleway<\/a> have linked several quantum startups emulators to their platforms, which allows users to develop quantum software at a much lower price point. The cloud operators are expected to offer access to real quantum computers soon.\n<\/p>\n \nBut for Ezratty, these private initiatives are not enough to spur European quantum development and make it competitive globally.\n<\/p>\n \nIn short: European companies are developing all you need for your quantum hardware \u2013 from chips to cables to cloud access \u2013 but the crucially needed software development that is a must to get a quantum computer off the ground is falling short.\n<\/p>\n Across the pond, US tech giant IBM offers an open source<\/a> software kit, Qiskit, designed to help developers learn quantum programming. Through this, IBM is not only building a talent pool familiar with their tools but fostering early ecosystem integration.<\/p>\n Others such as QC Ware (US), Riverlane (UK), Classiq (Israel), and Horizon Quantum (Singapore) are developing their own software tools, too.<\/p>\n Where is the EU standing in comparison?<\/p>\n \nFor now, Europeans have done a good job in financing quantum startups. However, this trajectory might eventually come to an end, especially when one looks at funding beyond Europe’s borders.\n<\/p>\n \nFor now, the majority of the bloc’s quantum tech investments come from public funds, 51% to be exact, according to a 2024 McKinsey study<\/a>. In comparison to just 2% in the US and 10% in the UK.\n<\/p>\n \nIn addition to that, unlocking private investment proves historically difficult for companies in the EU: Between 2001 and 2023, the UK attracted 1.36x more private funding into quantum tech than the EU as a whole, for example.\n<\/p>\n \nThe European Commission has acknowledged a financing gap, too. “[P]rivate investment is becoming the key differentiator between success and failure,”\u00a0the Commission’s quantum strategy, published last month, reads<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \nSome EU quantum startups managed to raise significant amounts, though.\u00a0IQM has pulled in a total of \u20ac200 million,<\/a>\u00a0Pasqal and Alice & Bob have raised \u20ac140 million<\/a> and \u20ac130 million<\/a> respectively.\n<\/p>\n \nBut looking at funding rounds across the Atlantic, the European rounds are dwarfed in comparison. US-based QuEra closed a\u00a0$230 million<\/a>\u00a0funding round in February, for example, while Maryland, US-based IonQ pulled in\u00a0$360 million<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n “For companies that are now at the growth stage, the EU lacks specialised venture capital funds that can act as lead investors in later stages funding rounds,” Olivier Tonneau, founder of Quantonation, a French early stage quantum investment fund, told Euractiv.<\/p>\n Ideas to scale up investment include getting the EU to ease rules for banks, insurers, and pension funds to unlock more quantum scale-up financing \u2013 something the Commission<\/a> has been indirectly considering after prompting from lobbyists<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n(nl, jp, vib)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Allied cracking of Germany\u2019s Enigma machine reshaped the course of World War II. 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