· The initiative, framed in the Strategy of Quantum Technologies of Spain, will promote the development of 42 quantum industrial pilots, with special emphasis on areas such as health, transport, cybersecurity or sensoric
· The agreements, which will also promote training and education, will be in force until 31 March 2027.
· The initiative is driven by European funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan
Red.es, an entity attached to the Ministry for Digital and Public Transformation, through the Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence, this morning signed agreements with the DigitalES association and the ‘Public-private alliance in quantum technologies for the intelligent development of the country’ represented by GAIA, for a total value of 10 million euros, for the development of cases of use of application of quantum technologies in strategic productive sectors.
The agreements have the common purpose of promoting the creation of solutions based on quantum technologies that solve the needs of strategic sectors, the consolidation of the Spanish quantum ecosystem and the strengthening of the information and communication technologies sector.
The initiative is framed in the Strategy of Quantum Technologies of Spain 2025-2030, approved on April 15 by the Council of Ministers, conceived with the ambition of turning Spain and its quantum ecosystem into a European and international reference. In this context, Red.es was assigned to carry out Priority 1, Initiative 1.1 ‘Use cases of applied industrial innovation’. And in September he launched a General Invitation from which the two entities with which the agreements are initiated today were selected.
The headquarters of Red.es has today hosted an act of signature with the two signatory entities in which María González Veracruz, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted that “there are 42 cases of use that act as ‘quantum industrial pilots’, allowing to validate technologies in real scenarios, aligning completely with the Spanish Strategy that we have all given ourselves. This shows the motivation and energy of our quantum ecosystem and its willingness to move forward, which I consider very positive. We are creating demand and preparing the Spanish market for quantum adoption and we do so through public-private partnerships.”
The director general of Red.es, Jesús Herrero, has indicated that “we are at a decisive moment. Quantum computing, which a few years ago was an emerging concept, has become a key tool for innovation and competitiveness. This agreement responds to that reality and to the need to create an environment that favors research, development and collaboration.”
Four lines of action
After the signing of both agreements, valid until March 31, 2027, the entities will carry out four lines of action: the development and implementation of cases of use of industrial innovation applied in productive sectors, with special incidence in areas such as health, transport, cybersecurity or sensoric; the study of the impact of the use cases carried out; training and training; as well as dissemination and follow-up actions.
On the one hand, the DigitalES association will have a total budget of 7,500,000 euros, of which 20% is provided by DigitalES (1.5 million euros), and the remaining 80%, 6 million euros, correspond to Red.es through European Next Generation EU funds. At the event, the CEO of DigitalES, Miguel Ángel Sánchez Galindo, pointed out that with this agreement the association “brings its capacity for sectoral coordination, its experience in knowledge transfer and its network of leading companies to bring the quantum from the laboratory to the industry”. In addition, it has indicated that it will allow the development of prototypes and pilots of high economic and social impact in key sectors such as energy, telecommunications or health where, among other aspects, they will allow the detection of complex clinical patterns in medical images, contributing to more accurate and early diagnoses.
And, on the other hand, the agreement signed with the ‘Public-private alliance in quantum technologies for the intelligent development of the country’ represented by GAIA (Association of Knowledge and Technology Industries), is formed by the Innovative Business Group of the Sector of the Technological Industry, Digitalization and the Digital Economy of La Rioja, (Aertic); the Cluster Association of Information and Communication Technologies of Asturias (Cluster TIC Asturias); the Spanish Confederation of Innovative Information, Communication and Technology Companies of Spain.
This agreement has a total budget of 4,655,000 euros, of which 20% (931,000 euros) correspond to the contribution of the group, while 80%, 3,724,000 euros, come from Red.es through European Next Generation EU funds.
For his part, Tomás Iriondo, the CEO of GAIA has pointed out that “quantum technologies represent an opportunity to accelerate digital and technological transformation, for which it is necessary to generate new value chains that respond to the challenges and needs of the future. In a few months or years, there will be no economic or social activity that does not apply quantum technologies, and in these technologies, too, Europe must be sovereign and competitive. The project allows us to experiment and assess the areas of use where quantum technologies can make a difference to our economy.”