Expected Outcome:

Projects are expected to contribute to mature quantum sensing technologies and devices (TRL 6-7) in different application sectors, with the goal of establishing a reliable, efficient supply chain including first standardisation and calibration efforts for rapid market uptake.

Scope:

Proposals should address the development of mature quantum sensing technologies and single or network-operating devices that have the potential to find a broad range of new applications including but not limited to transportation, precise localisation and timing, navigation, metrology, health, biology, security, telecommunications, Radio Frequency sensing and processing, imaging and recognition, radars energy, electronics industry, construction, mining, prospection, aerospace, materials, automotive, energy transformation etc...

Proposals should demonstrate advanced prototypes of such sensing technologies that provide an unprecedented level of precision and stability, making new types of sensing, imaging and analysis possible. For rapid market uptake, they should target miniaturised, integrated, transportable quantum sensors and provide first plans for their further industrialisation and target customers through enhanced cost efficiency and user operability at higher TRL.

In order to achieve the above, proposals should include relevant actors from the whole value chain (from materials to devices and to system integration aspects). They may also include, wherever relevant: (i), activities and actors from metrology institutes that would provide measurement methods and/or standards, including for the development of quality assurance methods and for standardisation of the targeted quantum sensing technologies; (ii) strategies such as validation and benchmarking to other technologies in order to clearly identify quantum advantage and hereby assist successful and competitive market placement; (iii) where necessary, to achieve the projects objectives, activities could also address more fundamental research issues; (iv) the cooperation with complementary projects launched specifically in the area pilot capabilities (“FPA for open testing and experimentation and for pilot production capabilities for quantum technologies” HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITALEMERGING-02-22), to lower the threshold for industry via the transfer infrastructure provided by application labs, testbeds as well as fabrication and pilot line facilities being addressed under the synergetic FPA suggested above.

Finally, proposals should also cover: (any additional support they may receive from relevant national or regional programmes and initiatives, including the contribution to the governance and overall coordination of the Quantum Technologies Flagship initiative.. They should also contribute to spreading excellence across Europe, for example, through the involvement of Widening Countries.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

Specific Topic Conditions:

Activities are expected to start at TRL 4-5 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.