French President to Announce Additional Funding for Quantum Plan
The President of the Republic is set to visit the “Très Grand Centre de Calcul” of the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) located in Essonne this Friday.
Emmanuel Macron will announce an additional funding of one billion euros for the government’s quantum plan, derived from the France 2030 investment program, in response to the “acceleration” of the United States and China in these critical technologies, as communicated by the Elysée.
During a visit to the “Très Grand Centre de Calcul” of the CEA in Bruyères-le-Châtel, Essonne, the President will also confirm that France will commit 550 million euros to a future European program for semiconductors, crucial for artificial intelligence. These funds also come from France 2030.
These announcements supplement the existing 1.8 billion euro quantum plan for the period 2021-2025, further supplemented in 2024 by 500 million euros through a defense sector support program. Additionally, in the semiconductors field, they complement a national strategy launched in 2022 with a total commitment of 5.5 billion euros.
The President is scheduled to speak at midday at the European Forum on computing power, quantum sciences and technologies, and semiconductors. Beforehand, he will visit the photonics quantum computer Lucy. Investments or partnerships announcements by private actors in these sectors are expected to be made on site.
Still largely experimental, quantum technology could potentially resolve highly complex problems faster than current and future computers. Emmanuel Macron will emphasize the importance of aligning these efforts with a more assertive European strategy, according to the Elysée.
Global Acceleration
“There is a global acceleration of major power blocs, namely the United States and China, and therefore the significant national effort we are making only makes sense within a strategy whose magnitude truly matches that of Europe,” said a presidential advisor. “A much more proactive approach is needed at the European level,” she added, referring to the ongoing negotiations for the European Union budget for 2028-2034.
In this context, the President will once again advocate for a “European loan for research, innovation” in these critical technologies. So far, Paris’ requests for new collective debts have faced resistance from several countries, notably Germany. Finally, Emmanuel Macron will ask French research organizations (CEA, CNRS, INRIA) to form a European research and technology coalition with their counterparts.
European Preference
This strategy, in his opinion, should strongly support “European preference,” his rallying cry, in order to prioritize technologies and equipment developed in Europe, especially in public procurement. French and European stakeholders in these sectors are expected to amplify Emmanuel Macron’s message in favor of greater European sovereignty and independence on all topics, which he aims to make the centerpiece of his final year in office.
He will revisit the energy aspect next Tuesday with the mobilization of companies in support of electrifying usage, in addition to the government’s already announced plan. On June 1st, the president will host, as he does every year, foreign investors in Versailles for Choose France, the event dedicated to the country’s attractiveness.
Internationally, a meeting of G7 Digital Ministers is scheduled for May 29 in Paris, leading up to the mid-June summit in Évian, in the French Alps, bringing together leaders of the club comprising Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
