The bet for research in semiconductors and quantum chips It is gaining importance on the technological agenda of Spain and the European Union. The Council of Ministers has approved a allocation of 19 million euros that will be channeled through the EU Chip Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), the main EU instrument for strengthening the chip industry on the continent.
This injection of funds comes at a time when technological autonomy and digital sovereignty These have become strategic priorities. The combination of Spanish funding, contributions from the European Commission, and private resources will enable the mobilization of more than €60 million in the semiconductor ecosystem, with a very clear focus on the development and manufacturing of quantum chips and on high-impact corporate R&D projects.
A coordinated investment to strengthen the semiconductor industry
The package approved by the Government is structured as follows: two major areas of actionOn the one hand, specific funding is allocated to the deployment of pilot lines for quantum chips; on the other hand, dozens of R&D projects from Spanish companies working in key areas of microelectronics and advanced computing are supported.
Overall, the measure fits within the European strategy of to promote chip manufacturing on community soil and reduce dependence on external suppliers in a sector considered critical for digitalization, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The Chips JU initiative acts as an umbrella to coordinate national and EU resources and attract private investment.
The Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration emphasizes that this public-private partnership model allows for, for every euro that Spain contributesThe European Commission will contribute an equivalent or very similar amount, in addition to the financial commitment of the beneficiary companies.
The measure is not limited to large companies: the design of the calls for proposals is intended so that SMEs, startups and research centers can participate on equal terms, something key to weaving a diversified industrial fabric with long-term innovation capacity.
Quantum pilot lines: 16 million to advance next-generation chips
One of the cornerstones of the Council of Ministers' decision is the approval of 6,5 millones de euros These funds are earmarked for Spanish participation in five pilot projects focused on the development of quantum chips. These experimental infrastructures are part of the multilateral projects selected by the Chips JU and are designed to take quantum technology beyond the laboratory.
The national contribution is reinforced by approximately 8 million euros additional originating from the Joint Chip Company itself and for about 1,5 millones de euros which will be assumed by the companies according to their size. In total, the combined effort reaches 16 million euros to boost the industrial maturation of quantum chips in Spain.
The diagnosis shared by the institutions is clear: today, Manufacturing quantum chips is extremely complex and expensiveThe pilot lines have precisely the mission of testing, validating and stabilizing the manufacturing processes, so that the resulting devices are more reliable, reproducible and have a lower failure rate, an indispensable condition for their future commercialization.
One of the distinguishing features of these infrastructures is their open accessThey will be available to startups, SMEs, universities and large European industrial groups, which should facilitate knowledge transfer, accelerate innovation cycles and consolidate a genuine shared quantum ecosystem in Europe.
Among the Spanish entities participating in these pilot programs are both research organizations such as technology centers and universitiesNotable among the funding sources are the Tecnalia Research and Innovation Foundation, the IMDEA Nanoscience Institute, the ICFO (Institute of Photonic Sciences), the Carlos III University of Madrid, and the University of Murcia, which is part of the multilateral 'Direqt' project with specific funding for research in semiconductors and quantum chips.
The role of universities and research centers in Spain
The presence of universities and specialized centers in quantum pilot lines demonstrates that Public inquiry remains an essential pillar of the advance in advanced semiconductors. The case of the University of Murcia is illustrative: it receives funding within 'Direqt' to develop scientific work in quantum technologies, reinforcing the position of the Region of Murcia as a growing environment in this field.
The State Secretariat for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence highlights that these initiatives allow retain and attract research talent, and they align with other strategic projects, such as the Quantix Edge Security chip design center, which has state participation through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation.
Institutions such as also play a leading role IMDEA Nanoscience, ICFO or Carlos III Universitywith projects ranging from basic research in quantum materials and devices to the integration of these components into complex architectures. This combination of approaches promises results in both the short and medium term, and lays the groundwork for Europe to keep pace with other powers in the quantum race.
The collaboration between Spanish centers and partners from other EU countries within Chips JU also facilitates that scientific and design capabilities coordinate with real industrial needs, something fundamental for laboratory results to eventually become marketable products and services.
In this context, the pilot lines act as a common testing ground where experimentation can take place with new manufacturing, encapsulation and verification processes of quantum chips, reducing time and costs compared to the alternative of each actor having to develop their own facilities from scratch.
36 business R&D projects for a more competitive industrial fabric
Alongside the quantum pilot lines, the other major component of the government's decision is the grant of more than 12,3 million euros 36 research and development projects promoted by Spanish companies. These initiatives range from small and medium-sized enterprises to large corporations, all under the umbrella of the Chips JU.
These projects focus on technological and industrial challenges considered strategic for the EU, as cybersecurityHigh-performance computing (HPC), sustainable manufacturing, and the design of processors based on open RISC-V architectures are key areas of focus. The goal is to expand the European industrial base in sectors where semiconductors play a crucial role.
The national funding of 12,3 million is completed with 13,1 million euros contributed by the Joint Chip Undertaking itself and with close 20 million euros of direct investment from the winning companiesThis structure reinforces the multiplier effect of public funds and engages the private sector in the success of the developments.
Among the projects with the largest funding are initiatives such as “Turandot”, driven by companies such as Quintaurlis Spain and Openchip Software Technologies, or “Shift2SDV”, developed by Avant Studio Proyectos, all of them aimed at improving the design and efficiency of advanced electronic systems.
In parallel, companies from sectors such as industrial electronics, automation, defense systems, and energy are also participating, getting involved in projects of application of next-generation semiconductors to demanding environments, from embedded systems to high-performance and energy-efficient solutions.
Europe seeks technological sovereignty in semiconductors and quantum chips
The initiative agreed upon by the Council of Ministers is not an isolated move, but rather forms part of a broader Community strategy to rebuild and expand European semiconductor capacityThe recent chip supply crisis highlighted the vulnerability of global supply chains and Europe's heavy reliance on Asia and the United States.
In response, the EU has launched the European Chips Act and its operational instrument, the Chips JU, with the aim of coordinating investments, boosting R&D, and facilitating the establishment of manufacturing capabilities in Europe. Spain has aligned itself with this movement and seeks to position itself as a key player in the value chain.
The new aid complements other actions already approved, such as the integrated photonics pilot linewhich involved a public investment of over 66,5 million euros and an economic impact in Spain exceeding 133 million, or the call for Centers of Competence, endowed with 8 million to create reference nodes in chip technologies.
The underlying logic is to weave a European network in which research, design, prototyping and manufacturing They should be closer, both geographically and organizationally. This aims to accelerate the time between the initial idea and its realization in a chip ready for integration into consumer products, industrial equipment, or critical infrastructure.
Furthermore, opening up the pilot infrastructures to actors of different sizes contributes to democratize access to cutting-edge technologiesThis is especially important for startups and SMEs that, on their own, could hardly afford facilities of this level.
In short, the decision to mobilize 19 million euros from Spain, leveraged with European funds and private capital, paints a picture in which semiconductor research and the development of quantum chips They are consolidated as key pieces of industrial and digital policy, with a direct impact on the competitiveness of companies, on the creation of skilled employment and on the reduction of the European Union's external technological dependence.
