Sectoral digital skills academies: Quantum Skills Digital Academy

Overview

Objectives

Quantum technologies have the potential to accelerate the creation of imminent solutions to global societal challenges and drive economic growth. In order to position the EU as a global leader in the development of quantum technologies and to stimulate their industrial applications, interdisciplinary training is needed, especially for domain professionals who do not necessarily have an education in quantum physics and engineering.

The Quantum Digital Skills Academy will serve as a single, central entity providing specialised quantum technologies training and hands on experience at different levels, and will play an important role in contributing to the objectives of the European Declaration on Quantum Technologies in the domain of quantum skills development and training.

Activities/actions supported

The Quantum Digital Academy will offer tailored training opportunities at different levels that bridge the gap between traditional disciplines and quantum technologies. It will organise tutorials and hands-on activities for non-quantum experts to gain practical experience on a quantum computer and develop activities like summer schools that enable students from neighbouring areas to acquire specialised knowledge in quantum technologies. Furthermore, it will provide support for education and training activities of research and development projects in quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum communication, and quantum sensing and metrology and accelerate its knowledge transfer to industry.

Anticipated outcomes

Expected deliverables include:

• Comprehensive academic curricula designed across different levels and for different target groups.
• Modular short-term training curricula for sector specialists designed and piloted trough relevant training courses at regional or local levels, including targeted training for SMEs and public sector.
• Partnerships and collaboration frameworks established between academia, industry (including SMEs) and research institutions to facilitate and promote the large-scale European-wide roll-out of the academic programmes and short-term trainings. Facilitated joint (practical) educational initiatives and events with industry and research institutions, such as on-the-job experiences in companies’ premises, and laboratories, mentorship schemes, internship programmes, summer schools, bootcamps, visits to facilities, career days.
• Support, integration, and visibility schemes implemented, with particular attention aimed at the participation of female students and female professionals as well as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities.
• Training initiatives addressing teaching staff, such as “Teach-the-teacher” training modules targeted at university, VET and secondary-education teachers.
• Communication and awareness-raising activities.

Institution providing the funding

European Commission

Size of funding

EUR 10,000,000

Conditions

Overview of eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in one of the eligible countries(i.e. EU Member States, non-EU countries, listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme).

Overview of award criteria

The award criteria for this call are as follows:

1. Relevance 

• Alignment with the objectives and activities as described in section 2 of the call document
• Contribution to long-term policy objectives, relevant policies and strategies, and synergies with activities at European and national level
• Extent to which the project would reinforce and secure the digital technology supply chain in the EU (may not be applicable to all topics - see section 2 of the call document)
• Extent to which the project can overcome financial obstacles such as the lack of market finance (may not be applicable to all topics - see section 2 of the call document)

2. Implementation

• Maturity of the project
• Soundness of the implementation plan and efficient use of resources
• Capacity of the applicants, and when applicable the consortium as a whole, to carry out the proposed work

3. Impact

• Extent to which the project will achieve the expected outcomes and deliverables referred to in the call for proposals and, where relevant, the plans to disseminate and communicate project achievements
• Extent to which the project will strengthen competitiveness and bringimportant benefits for society
• Extent to which the project addresses environmental sustainability and the European Green Deal goals, in terms of direct effects and/or inawareness of environmental effects (may not be applicable to all topics - see section 2 of the call document)

Procedures

Application procedures

All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are NOT accepted.

Application support available

Please consult the call documents for more information.

Non-IT related questions should be sent to the following address: https://european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en. Please indicate clearly the reference of the call and topic to which your question relates.

Useful links

Link to funding opportunity

Link to the programme for more info