A new quantum academy to forge the workforce of tomorrow

The European Quantum Academy (EQA) was recently launched as

As partner of the EQA, ICFO will contribute to the initiative by providing its extensive expertise in quantum science and technology research, outreach, and PhD training to drive engagement activities, foster pan-European mobility, and strengthen broader European collaboration.  In addition, the participation of ICFO in the EQA project contributes to  the regional efforts to strengthen the quantum educational ecosystem in Catalunya through the Catalan Quantum Academy (CQA).

The Quantum Academy’s span across Europe

The Academy will operate through six Regional Quantum Academies (RQA) spanning Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern and Iberian Europe, coordinating the full educational pipeline, from school outreach and harmonized Bachelor's and Master's programs, through doctoral training, to professional upskilling and lifelong learning.

"Europe's quantum sovereignty will not be secured in a handful of elite labs. It will be secured by connecting the full pipeline, from the classroom to the cleanroom, from first exposure in school to professional expertise in industry, across every region of the continent. That is the work the EQA is built to do." highlights Jacob Sherson, Director of European Quantum Readiness Center, Aarhus University, EQA Coordinator. 

ICFO will coordinate one of those six regional quantum academies (RQAs), the South-Western Europe RQA, steering efforts among the 10 participating institutions across Spain and Portugal with the goal of growing and consolidating the quantum ecosystem throughout the region.

Addressing a widening "quantum divide"

According to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, the global quantum sector is projected to exceed €155 billion by 2040, with thousands of highly skilled jobs at stake. Yet Europe's quantum capacity remains unevenly distributed: a handful of countries host world-leading infrastructure and talent, while others have limited access to training, equipment, or industry pathways. The EQA is designed to close that gap, with equity, diversity and inclusion built in as a structural commitment rather than an afterthought.

The Academy's launch aligns with the EU Quantum Europe Strategy (July 2025), which identifies a European quantum academy as one of five strategic areas, and with the Digital Decade target of placing Europe at the cutting edge of quantum capabilities by 2030.

Paraskevi Ganoti, Policy Officer of the European Commission, comments, "Europe has the research excellence and the community to lead in quantum technologies globally. Translating that into a workforce with the depth and breadth the sector will need over the coming decade is the work the EQA is here to do."

Building on a decade of European coordination

The EQA consolidates and scales the work of four predecessor Quantum Flagship projects (QTEdu, DigiQ, QTIndu, and QUCATS) which together established a shared European Competence Framework for Quantum Technologies, a growing portfolio of qualified degree programs and industry training modules, and a community of educators, researchers and industry partners working across national boundaries.

Concrete targets include training at least 600 quantum professionals through EQF level 7 and level 8 programs by the end of the project, delivering training to 5,000 learners through EQA activities, and reserving 20% of student travel grants for learners from underrepresented groups.

About the European Quantum Academy (EQA)

The European Quantum Academy is a pan-European coordination body for quantum technology education and workforce development, bringing together more than 70 partner institutions, over 100 affiliated organizations, and six Regional Quantum Academies. It coordinates activities across the full QT education pipeline and builds on the work of the Quantum Flagship coordination projects QTEdu, DigiQ, QTIndu, and QUCATS.