Insider Brief

During a day that brought together the quantum ecosystem at the French National Library, Sbastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, represented by the General Delegate for Armament, Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education and Research, Franck Riester, Minister in charge of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, Francophonie and French Nationals Abroad, and Marina Ferrari, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs with Bruno Bonnell, General Secretary for Investment, presented on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the concrete results of the national quantum strategy, three years after its launch by President Emmanuel Macron. On this occasion, the launch of the PROQCIMA program was announced. PROQCIMA aims to have two prototypes of universal quantum computers of French design by 2030.

Considering the stakes of economic growth and sovereignty, and following the lead of major world powers like the United States, China, the United Kingdom, or Germany, the President launched, in January 2021, an ambitious national strategy on quantum technologies in France, endowed with cumulative state funding, including France 2030, of about 1 billion over four years, for a total public-private commitment of 1.8 billion.

This strategy is structured around 6 strategic objectives:

The ongoing second quantum revolution since the late 20th century will multiply our computing capacities by making calculations that are currently impossible accessible, allow us to perceive our environment with unprecedented precision, and explore new ways of transmitting information. Moreover, these technologies promise to enable precise navigation in locations where the GPS network is not accessible and make MRI machines portable. They will also drastically accelerate medical research and the discovery of new materials with exceptional properties.

Making France a Leader in Quantum Technologies

According to government estimates, quantum startups have raised over 350 million to date, making France the leading European country and the third worldwide behind the United States and Canada in terms of fundraising, and second with Canada in terms of valuation.

French startups are also in second place with Canada in terms of talent attractiveness and are responsible for about 20% of the machines sold or ordered at this stage worldwide, making France one of the leading manufacturers and exporters.

Quantum strategy in numbers:

Launching the PROQCIMA Program

The Government is launching the PROQCIMA program, inspired by the ULTRA program (launched by the British during World War II) in the era of quantum computing. The goal of this program is to have at least two prototypes of universal quantum computers with 128 logical qubits by 2030, extending to 2048 logical qubits by 2035.

France is one of the few countries worldwide with a solid foundation in upstream research and technology, as well as the industrial capability to seriously explore the feasibility of a Fault Tolerant Quantum Computer (FTQC).

The development program in France for a universal quantum computer faces two major challenges due to the high uncertainties in scientific, technological, and industrial aspects:

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France 2030: Progress Update Three Years After the Launch of the National Quantum Technologies Strategy and the ... - The Quantum Insider