National Growth Fund Awards Quantum Delta NL €60.2 Million

Insider Brief

• Quantum Delta NL secured a €60.2 million investment from The National Growth Fund.
• The organization is a main driver in the Netherlands’ national ecosystem for quantum innovation.
• The funds will be used for the development of dedicated centers of excellence and accelerate joint technology programs.

PRESS RELEASE — Quantum Delta NL, the Netherlands’ national ecosystem for quantum innovation, announced it secured a €60.2 million investment from The National Growth Fund as the Dutch contribution to the trilateral agreement with France and Germany. The program’s goal is to strengthen R&D connections across borders to accelerate the development of the European quantum technologies industry.

France, Germany and the Netherlands are leading member states when it comes to their respective R&D and startup ecosystems and the maturity of their national quantum programs. By leveraging synergies, they seek to accelerate the European innovation system through joint efforts based on complementary excellence.

The MoU with the intent to join forces was already signed in November 2022 by representatives of the respective governments. This investment is the Dutch contribution for implementation. France and Germany are committed to contribute to the program through their own funds for a joint R&D call and the development of shared facilities in the spirit of a “European Quantum Campus”, leveraging budgets from their own national programs.

The €60,2 million investment from NGF will be allocated in two modules:

First, it will be used for the development of dedicated centres of excellence with shared facilities and resources that can be used by startups, researchers, and corporates to work and collaborate on joint projects within thematic areas of expertise.

Second, the funding will be used to accelerate joint technology programs for a small number of strategic quantum projects of international interdisciplinary cutting-edge R&D, in combination with equity investments for companies in the field of quantum computing, sensing and communication. The three countries will publish a joint call for proposals to select the best projects.

Before this additional international program will start, a few conditions need to be met, among others hard financial commitments from the other Member States and an effective international and national governance. In parallel, Quantum Delta NL will execute a midterm review of its original 2021-2028 programme to prepare for the final execution phase. This proposal will then be assessed by the NGF committee independently from this international program.