Building a shared quantum ecosystem for the Upper Rhine Valley

In this action we are addressing relations with the economic and industrial sectors by strengthening cross-border innovation capacity. The aim is to lay the foundations for sustainable collaborations within the consortium and beyond, by fostering innovation capacity through a network of partners dedicated to advancing quantum technologies. To this end, we are jointly developing a multifaceted strategy and action plan for new transnational collaborations, as well as for the sharing and exploitation of collective expertise within the region. We are developing comprehensive map of skills and competencies to facilitate the formation of access to the expertise and foster partnerships across the entire spectrum of the quantum value chain. By developing ecosystems that combine diverse expertise and resources and by aligning our efforts with industry needs through in-depth market research and awareness-raising activities, we ensure that our activities are relevant for society. The assessment of the state of readiness of quantum technologies will identify the most promising areas of innovation, directly informing the strategic planning of future collaborations.

In the competitive international landscape of quantum technology development, there are a number of specific technological challenges that still need to be overcome. It is therefore of paramount importance to further develop the research capabilities that already exist in the Upper Rhine Valley to advance quantum innovation further and thus lay the foundations for future innovations. To this end, we propose bringing together the academic and industrial scientific community around the main research areas for which expertise is available in the region: quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum networks, enabling technologies, tools and software.

Quantum-related thematic areas represent the main axes of cross-border collaboration, as they build on existing priorities identified at both national and regional levels and align with the region’s existing strengths in R&D. Our activities aim to gain a better understanding of and structure the emerging landscape in the region through knowledge exchange (workshops), the promotion of cross-border collaborations and scientific foresight activities in order to identify common research priorities for the future.

We aim to provide the Upper Rhine region with a growing pool of skilled workers in quantum technologies and the underlying enabling technologies. To this end, joint initial training and continuous education pathways are promoted and coordinated at all levels of education – from undergraduate and postgraduate studies right through to life-long learning for specialists working in the relevant sectors. These measures aim to strengthen quantum technologies throughout the value chain, from fundamental and applied research to industrial products development.

This actions benefits from the exceptional complementarity of the French, German and Swiss partners’ expertise and their experience in training and education that enables the provision of joint cross-border training courses with rich and diverse programmes. All activities are open to participants from the Upper Rhine Valley, whether or not they belong to the consortium and to external participants depending on availability.

A key measure of UpQuantVal’s success is its ability to engage stakeholders beyond the current consortium partners, with the aim of ensuring the widest possible adoption of quantum technologies, their positive impact on the local economy, and the long-term sustainability of the network and the partnerships established. UpQuantVal is an open network that aime to grow to include additional partners in the future. We therefore propose a synergistic approach supported by communication, strategic research, development and innovation activities. The expected outcome is a visible and sustainable quantum ecosystem that will deliver tangible long-term benefits to society. In particular, the involvement of local and international companies, beyond the current consortium and not yet active in quantum research or development, is of great importance in fully exploiting the potential of our project. We therefore invite companies and existing industrial networks across all fields of activities (such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance and banking, IT, chemistry and materials, etc.), to engage with us.