The European Commission launched the Quantum Technologies Flagship in October 2018, a ten-year, EUR 1 billion initiative to consolidate European leadership in quantum research and translate it into commercial applications. Swiss institutions secured a disproportionately large share of the first round of funding, with two Swiss-coordinated projects among the 20 selected to share EUR 132 million for the 2018–2021 period.
According to a report from SWI swissinfo.ch, Swiss universities and companies participated in 11 of the 24 funded projects overall. The Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) in Neuchatel coordinated the macQsimal project, which brought together 14 industrial and academic partners to develop quantum sensors for consumer electronics, medical devices, and connected objects. ETH Zurich researchers contributed to five projects spanning quantum computing, simulation, and sensing.
Switzerland’s status as an associated country in the Horizon 2020 framework program enabled its full participation in the Flagship’s ramp-up phase. Swiss teams secured the second-largest share of funding after Germany, with approximately EUR 25 million allocated to Swiss-based partners.