Grand Challenge on Quantum Sensors for Inertial Navigation
Through this call, HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NGC-04, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking aims to advance the development of quantum-enabled navigation systems for use in GNSS-denied or contested environments. The action will be implemented in a two-phase competitive structure, supported by Horizon Europe and in close collaboration with the European Investment Bank.
In Phase 1, proposals are expected to establish a comprehensive technical and financial roadmap demonstrating the potential of the proposed quantum inertial navigation system while delivering evidence-based design and benchmarking packages. Proposals should target systems that are already sufficiently mature and include analyses of investor-readiness and supply-chain sovereignty. Over the course of Phase 1, projects will be given the opportunity to liaise with EIB advisory services to prepare and strengthen their financial viability plans preparing for potential investments from the EIB in Phase 2. Following full due diligence successful projects will qualify to receive convertible loans from the EIB in two separate installments during Phase 2.
The total indicative budget available for this call is EUR 2 Million, funded under the Horizon Europe programme. The expected duration of the Grand Challenge is 6 months. The call opens today, 2 June 2026, with a submission deadline of 14 January 2027 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time).
Relevant details and information concerning this call are available on this dedicated call page.
Large-Scale Photonic Quantum Computing Platform Technologies
The action, HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-PQC-06, aims at establishing a strategic European initiative to develop scalable, modular, and interoperable photonic quantum computing platforms.
Proposals are expected to address and provide credible solutions to at least two major technical roadblocks, currently limiting progress in photonic quantum computing.
The first roadblock is the lack of deterministic, high-efficiency photonic entanglement and loss-tolerant architectures suitable for fault-tolerant scaling.
The second is the absence of a standardised, integrated control stack combining photonic hardware, firmware and system software with reliable benchmarking across platforms.
It is expected that by 2028, the selected project will demonstrate a photonic NISQ processor with ≥ 100 photonic qubits and by 2030 to deliver a full-stack, high-connectivity photonic quantum computer with modular scalability.
Proposals are expected to be led by a startup with demonstrated expertise in photonic quantum computing. The startup should collaborate with relevant academic, industrial, research and technology partners to ensure both technological depth and market orientation. The consortium should also include at least one major end-user whose operational requirements will guide the platform design and whose infrastructure will host the field demonstration of the project’s results.
The total indicative budget available for this call is EUR 10 Million, funded under the Horizon Europe programme. The expected project duration is three years. The call opens today, 2 June 2026, with a submission deadline of 26 January 2027 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time).
More details and relevant documents concerning this call are available on this dedicated call page.
Standards for Quantum Technologies
Through this action, HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-STAND-05, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking aims to support and accelerate the development and adoption of European and international standards for quantum technologies. This will enhance interoperability, quality and reliability assurance, and trust in quantum systems.
It will strengthen Europe's leadership in the global quantum standardisation landscape and ensure that European industrial and research priorities are well represented and integrated into emerging standards.
Expected outcomes from the call include the delivery of concrete, EU-relevant pre-normative standards and technical specifications across quantum computing, communication and sensing.
The selected proposal will help promoting cross-sectoral interoperability through standardised interfaces, control protocols and benchmarking methodologies, reducing market fragmentation and technical barriers.
By doing so, it should also create practical support tools such as user guidelines, training modules and best practices to accelerate the uptake and implementation of quantum standards.
The total indicative budget available for this call is EUR 1 Million, funded under the Horizon Europe programme. The expected project duration is three years. The call opens today, 2 June 2026, with a submission deadline of 19 January 2027 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time).
Further details on this call can be found on this dedicated call page.
Quantum Machine Learning
The action, HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QML-07, for Quantum Machine Learning, aims to advance research at the intersection of quantum computing and artificial intelligence, with the objective of unlocking new capabilities for data processing, optimisation, and modelling.
By combining quantum processors with classical HPC systems, hybrid approaches are expected to address computational bottlenecks while maintaining scalability and robustness.
Proposals for this call should contribute to the development, validation, and demonstration of Quantum Machine Learning (QML) methods, including novel quantum, quantum-inspired, or hybrid algorithms, performance benchmarking, and noise-aware strategies.
Particular emphasis is placed on scalable solutions capable of handling large and complex datasets, as well as on the development of quantum-native learning models that can demonstrate clear advantages over classical approaches.
The total indicative budget available for this call is EUR 6 Million, funded under the Horizon Europe programme. The expected project duration is four years. The call opens today, 2 June 2026, with a submission deadline of 28 January 2027 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time).
Consult relevant details of this call on the dedicated call page.
Background information
The EuroHPC JU is a legal and funding entity that brings together the European Union and participating countries to coordinate efforts and pool resources with the objective of making Europe a world leader in supercomputing.
To equip Europe with a cutting-edge supercomputing infrastructure, the EuroHPC JU has already procured 12 supercomputers, distributed across Europe including JUPITER in Germany, and Alice Recoque in France, Europe’s first exascale systems.
European scientists and users from the public sector and industry can benefit from EuroHPC supercomputers via the EuroHPC Access Calls no matter where in Europe they are located, to advance science and support the development of a wide range of applications with industrial, scientific and societal relevance for Europe.
Currently, the EuroHPC JU is also overseeing the implementation of 19 AI factories (AIF) across Europe, complemented by 13 AI Factory Antennas, to offer free, customised support to SMEs and startups.
Additionally, the EuroHPC JU is deploying a European Quantum Computing infrastructure, integrating diverse European quantum computing technologies with existing supercomputers. Up to now, the EuroHPC JU has procured six quantum computers and co-funded two more through the HPCQS project.
The EuroHPC JU also funds research and innovation projects to develop a full European supercomputing supply chain, from processors and software to applications to be run on these supercomputers and know-how to develop strong European HPC expertise.
With the recent adoption of Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150, the EuroHPC JU’s mandate has been expanded with new action pillars dedicated to the deployment of AI Gigafactories across Europe and the advancement of quantum technologies.
Details
- Publication date
- 2 June 2026
- Author
- European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking