Growth Corner
Enabling the Future of Quantum: Enabling Innovation and Impact
From Ecosystem Building to Ecosystem Impact
Throughout the programme, the needs of the Dutch quantum ecosystem have evolved. While the initial focus was on laying the foundation, building communities, infrastructure, and capabilities, the current priority has shifted. It’s now about enabling economic and societal impact through quantum technologies.
This shift calls for a stronger emphasis on:
Future-ready technologies
Applicability and scalability
Tech transfer and IP creation
Strengthening links between innovation and market uptake
A Lab-to-Fab Support Approach
QDNL is evolving its approach to better support this next stage of development. The objective is to align support instruments and programmes with key performance indicators across the ecosystem, enabling flexible and competitive pathways that accelerate:
Rapid innovation
Technology transfer
Application-oriented research
International leadership
This Lab-to-Fab approach is designed to help scale quantum technologies from research labs to real-world manufacturing and commercial use.
Towards Strategic and Challenge-Driven Funding
Our updated funding model will be:
More flexible, bold, and lightweight
Transparent and inclusive of end users, manufacturing ecosystems, and higher TRLs
Aligned with CATs and ALs to help achieve their KPIs
Structured to leverage QDNL’s funding by attracting national and international co-financing
Designed to promote global collaboration and position the Netherlands as a trusted partner
TechBridge: Germany Call 2026 - Quantum Technologies in Aerospace
A new Germany–Netherlands bilateral call on quantum technologies in aerospace is now open for applications. The Ministry of Economic Affairs encourages Dutch companies, knowledge institutions, and research organisations to engage in R&D collaborations with innovative partners in Germany. These projects will focus on developing quantum technologies for practical aerospace applications, with an emphasis on creating innovative products, processes, or services that can be brought to market.
KIC - Heterogeneous development solutions for semiconductors & scaling of quantum technologies
A KIC call led by NWO and Holland High Tech is now open. This call for research proposals supports public-private consortia working on solutions around chiplets, advanced packaging and metrology, and scalable quantum technology manufacturing. The call offers a total budget of €11.85 million (split evenly between semiconductor and quantum), requires an eligible research institution as lead applicant, and a minimum of 20% co-funding. The proposal deadline is 21 May 2026.
QuantERA
QDNL actively engages with strategic initiatives to amplify impact and reach. One example is QuantERA, a pan-European network that supports collaborative research in quantum technologies.
SME PROGRAMME
The QDNL SME programme is designed to connect 125 high-tech, multidisciplinary Dutch SMEs with the arenas of quantum technology where they’re needed most.
TRILATERAL PROGRAMME
Building on the trilateral statement on collaboration in quantum technology signed in November 2022, this joint programme of activities is the next logical step towards acceleration and greater synergies. It aims to address these four strategic challenges and builds on the coordination work already under way between the three signatories.
NWO QDNL Quantum Technology 2025
This call aims to stimulate, solidify and strengthen fundamental research of high scientific quality that forms the basis for new innovations in quantum technology that are connected to the Catalyst (“CAT”-) programmes as described in the QDNL Growth Fund proposal.
SME Hightech call 2025
The second edition of the SME High-Tech Call will open in January 2026. In this call, Holland High Tech challenges entrepreneurs to work with research organizations for two years on innovative projects that align with their innovation domains (including quantum technologies).
