New JRC Policy Report: Future Directions for Quantum Technology in Europe

The new Joint Research Centre (JRC) policy report, “Future Directions for Quantum Technology in Europe” provides key background data that informed the recently unveiled EU Quantum Strategy.

According to JRC experts, the European Union (EU) is strongly positioned in the global quantum landscape, supported by a robust research and innovation ecosystem and substantial public and private investments. Currently, the EU is home to 32% of the world’s quantum technology companies compared to about 25% in the United States and 5% in China with over half of these European companies established since 2018. 

At the same time, however, the EU accounts for only 6% of global quantum-related patenting activity whereas China currently leads the field with 46%, followed by the United States with 23%. Nevertheless, the EU has experienced a notable surge in patent applications in recent years. Between 2021 and 2024, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of quantum patenting in Europe more than doubled, even as global patent filings slowed during the same period.

The report identifies the fragmentation of EU public investments as one of the key factors preventing the European quantum sector from realising its full potential. Currently, multiple EU funding schemes, Member State programmes, and international collaborations exist, but they often lack sufficient coordination and alignment.

While maintaining diversity in research and early-stage development is valuable, advancing to higher technology readiness levels (TRLs) requires greater focus, prioritisation, and collective effort. The urgent challenge now is to reorient EU quantum programmes, which are currently dispersed across numerous small-scale applications, to achieve a more strategic and concentrated approach that maximises impact.