The federal Quantum Computing Competition awarded the NFQC-1k project funding to build a trapped-ion demonstrator with ≥1,000 physical qubits and a pilot semiconductor line for quantum processor units over up to five years.
NFQC-1k received an approximate €122 million funding envelope to develop a trapped-ion quantum computer demonstrator with at least 1,000 physical qubits and ≥50 logical qubits.
QUDORA leads a seven-member German consortium that includes TU Braunschweig, Leibniz University Hannover, PTB, NXP Semiconductors Germany, Forschungszentrum Jülich, and AQT Germany.
The project is part of Germany’s High-Tech Agenda (HTAD) Quantum Computing Competition aiming to field at least two fault-tolerant European state-of-the-art quantum computers by 2030.
# What happened Germany's Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) has selected a QUDORA-led consortium to develop the NFQC-1k project, a trapped-ion quantum computer demonstrator with an estimated total volume of approximately €122 million. The award is part of the ministry's Quantum Computing Competition within the High-Tech Agenda Deutschland (HTAD).
# Who's in the consortium QUDORA is the consortium lead and will integrate the overall system. The six other partners are:
These partners bring a mix of fundamental research, metrology, semiconductor manufacturing, and trapped-ion hardware expertise.
# Technical goals and verification
Performance of the demonstrator will be verified using a Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT), a standard benchmark for quantum-algorithm building blocks.
In parallel with the demonstrator, the consortium will implement a pilot line to produce high-performance quantum processing units (QPUs) based on ion-trap technology.
# Why the government funded this Germany's HTAD, which lists quantum technologies among its six priority key technologies. The HTAD goal relevant to NFQC-1k is to establish at least two fault-tolerant quantum computers at European state-of-the-art level by 2030. The BMFTR is funding multiple hardware platforms under its Quantum Systems Research Program, and NFQC-1k is the trapped-ion track supported under that program.
# Sponsor statements
# Funding, timeline, and next steps The funding covers a project period of up to five years. The approximate €122 million project volume is shared across the seven partners. Following the selection, the consortium was invited to submit a full proposal and proceed with the funded development, system integration, and pilot-line setup.
# Practical implications For Germany and partner organizations, NFQC-1k aims to move trapped-ion systems toward fault-tolerant operation at scale and to create a domestic production line for QPUs. The project aligns with national goals to secure technological competitiveness and to advance hardware pathways (neutral atoms, superconducting circuits, and trapped ions) toward fault tolerance.
# What to watch next
The German government has selected a QUDORA-led consortium for the €122 million NFQC-1k project to build a fault-tolerant trapped-ion quantum computer with at least 1,000 physical qubits. This five-year initiative aims to establish a semiconductor pilot line for high-performance quantum processing units and is a key mi
Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — QUDORA Technologies, the German full-stack quantum computing company, today announced that it has been selected under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking’s (EuroHPC JU) Quantum Grand Challenge, an EU program designed to accelerate the development of market-ready, utility-scale quantum computing
Die Bundeswehr investiert massiv in digitale Technologie. BWI, der IT-Dienstleister der Truppe, verdoppelt deswegen bis 2030 den Umsatz. Ein Ex-RWE-Vorstand bereitet die Firma darauf vor.
The Horizon Europe Q-VERSE consortium, funded with €5 million, is developing an open, hardware-agnostic quantum software stack. This initiative aims to unify quantum application development by decoupling it from low-level QPU architectures, utilizing the Eclipse Qrisp framework and standardized intermediate representat
Munich-based security technology group Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) has joined uPQComing (Enhancing Cyber-Resilience for the Upcoming Post-Quantum Era), a European research consortium co-funded by the European Union's Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU). The project focuses on migrating critical public digital infrastructure
Creotech Quantum has secured a €2.33M contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop advanced Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) over 24 months. These detectors will be crucial for European quantum key distribution networks and deep-space optical communication, reaching Technology Readi
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.