MQV institutes and start-ups play key role in EU’s first pilot line for superconducting quantum chips

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The European Union has approved SUPREME, a major new pilot line to industrialize superconducting quantum chip fabrication, coordinated by VTT and funded through the EU Chips Joint Undertaking. As part of this initiative involving 23 partners across eight EU member states, one of the three central fabrication sites will be hosted in Germany, specifically in Garching and the Munich area, supported by a strong consortium of German research institutions and technology developers.

The German contribution to SUPREME is anchored by:

  • Peak Quantum
  • TUM & Walther Meißner Institute (WMI)
  • Max Planck Semiconductor Laboratory (HLL)
  • Infineon Technologies AG
  • Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (EMFT, IZM, IPMS, IAF)
  • Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT)

This collaboration is empowered by the Munich Quantum Valley ecosystem, enabling close coordination between academic research, applied technology development, and industrial-scale fabrication.

SUPREME will develop and validate high-yield processes for superconducting quantum chips, focusing on technologies such as angle-evaporated and etched Josephson junctions, 3D integration, and hybrid quantum processes. These fabrication techniques are critical for the scaling of quantum processors, sensors, and communication components beyond laboratory prototypes.

The first validated processes are expected to be made accessible to external users via shared process design kits (PDKs) by 2027, laying the foundation for a European supply chain for quantum chips.

SUPREME marks a turning point for quantum hardware in Europe: transitioning from research to industrial capability and enabling broad access to reliable superconducting fabrication platforms for startups, SMEs, academia, and large industry alike.
 

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