The initiative is one of six quantum pilot lines established under the EU Chips Act to strengthen Europe’s technological capability and sovereignty in strategic quantum domains.

Coordinated by Belgian research centre imec, the €50 million programme brings together 25 partners across Europe, including research organisations, industry players and academic groups. Funding is provided through the European Union’s Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) alongside contributions from national and regional authorities.

Quantum computing is increasingly viewed as a critical technology area, with potential applications spanning drug discovery, advanced materials development, secure communications and next-generation navigation systems. However, the field continues to face a significant gap between scientific advances and the ability to manufacture large-scale, stable quantum processors.

Scaling quantum devices to as many as one billion error-corrected qubits is considered essential for building practical, fault-tolerant quantum computers. Achieving this requires highly specialised fabrication, cryogenic operation, and precision control electronics—capabilities that Europe aims to advance through its network of pilot lines.

Within this framework, SPINS focuses specifically on semiconductor spin qubits for quantum computing. The consortium includes major research institutes such as Fraunhofer, VTT and CEA-Leti; industrial partners including Infineon, Siltronic and several SMEs; and academic groups such as TU Delft and the University of Jyväskylä.

Initial work will concentrate on optimising processes and design methodologies to support scalable and stable spin-qubit devices across three technology platforms: Si/SiGe, Ge/GeSi and SOI. The pilot line aims to establish a lab-to-fab pathway supported by Multi-Project Wafers (MPWs) and standardised quantum Process Design Kits (PDKs). These tools are intended to lower barriers for startups and smaller companies, helping build early industrial capacity in European quantum technologies.

Kristiaan De Greve, SPINS coordinator, said highly controlled manufacturing environments are essential for producing reliable quantum devices. “Scaling qubits requires an extremely controllable environment and solid manufacturing processing, in view of the extreme sensitivity of qubits to environmental noise,” he said. “These challenges require both the accuracy and control that is only present in state of semiconductor cleanroom infrastructure, combined with the research and innovation mentality to adjust such an environment to address these sensitive qubits.”

He added that the strengths of the partners involved will accelerate development. “By bundling the expertise of our European consortium partners in this quantum pilot line, we will speed up the development of high-TRL semiconductor qubits and thereby enable larger-scale quantum systems made in Europe.”

SPINS forms part of a wider European strategy to develop multiple quantum hardware platforms. Alongside semiconductor spin qubits, the EU has launched pilot lines focused on photonic quantum technologies (P4Q), ion-trap qubits (CHAMP-ION), superconducting qubits (SUPREME), diamond quantum chips (DIREQT) and neutral-atom platforms (Q PLANET).

By: DocMemory
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