EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for "Supporting Digital Partnerships in Quantum Technologies (RIA)"

1. Single Market Access

- 450+ million end-users / customers: Quantum-enabled products (secure communication modules, sensors, cloud QC access, etc.) can be piloted in one Member State and commercialised EU-wide without customs or tariff barriers.

- Public procurement leverage: Consortia can tap into joint cross-border pre-commercial procurement (PCP) and innovation procurement schemes under the Digital Europe Programme and Connecting Europe Facility, creating an unrivalled early-adopter customer base.

- Data-rich testbeds: GDPR-harmonised data protection rules allow lawful cross-border data sharing for quantum ML and simulation experiments, multiplying the data volumes available to R&I teams.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

- Mandatory EU-ROK balanced consortia: The call encourages at least three independent legal entities from three different EU/Associated countries and matching ROK partners, automatically fostering multinational teams.

- Pan-European research infrastructures: Easy access to EuroHPC Joint Undertaking sites, Quantum Flagship testbeds, and ESA’s secure satellite QKD payload activities for joint pilots with Korean counterparts.

- Mobility & talent programmes: Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships, ERC Proof-of-Concept, and Erasmus+ mobility can be layered onto the project for seamless researcher exchanges.

3. Alignment with EU Policies

- Digital Decade targets (2030): Contributes to “10,000 cutting-edge quantum computers/interconnect nodes in EU” aspiration.

- Open Strategic Autonomy: Directly supports Destination 4 objective of reducing reliance on non-EU quantum supply chains while preserving openness through ROK partnership.

- Green Deal & Twin Transition: Quantum optimisation of energy grids/logistics and ultra-precise quantum sensors align with climate-neutrality goals.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation

- Unitary Patent & EU IP framework minimise transaction costs for joint EU-ROK patents, easing exploitation.

- ETSI-ISG QKD and CEN/CENELEC standards pathways: Participation in standards committees (explicitly encouraged by the call) allows consortia to shape future EU-wide certification schemes, fast-tracking market entry.

5. Innovation Ecosystem Access

- Over 300 quantum R&D actors funded under the Quantum Flagship and Chips Act pilot lines form an immediate partner/user group.

- Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) in all Member States can act as regional multipliers for demonstrators.

- Venture capital catalysis: European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator can follow-on fund breakthrough spin-offs emerging from the project, with ticket sizes up to €15 m blended finance.

6. Funding Synergies

- Cascade funding: Project can allocate FSTP (Financial Support to Third Parties) mini-grants to SMEs in widening countries, amplifying impact.

- Complementarity with Chips JU & EuroHPC JU: Hardware pilots financed here can transition to industrial pilot lines or HPC integration programmes.

- Structural Funds (ERDF): Regions can co-invest in quantum pilot fabs or sensor calibration facilities created by the consortium.

7. Scale & Impact Potential

- TRL leapfrogging: Call targets TRL 2-4 → 4-6; EU’s coordinated large-scale demonstrators (e.g., QT Flagship’s 6-year pilots) provide clear pathways to TRL 8-9.

- EU-wide deployment channels: Quantum-safe communication blueprints produced can be rolled into the future European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) spanning all 27 Member States.

8. Strategic Value of Operating at EU Level

- Risk sharing & critical mass: Quantum R&I is CAPEX-intensive; pooling EU grants with Korean co-funding de-risks investments impossible at single-country scale.

- Policy influence: A successful consortium becomes a reference for future EU-ROK Digital Partnership work-programmes, positioning partners for subsequent flagship calls.

- Societal resonance: Demonstrating Europe-Asia leadership in secure communications and quantum sensing reinforces EU citizens’ trust in digital sovereignty objectives.

9. Actionable Opportunities for Proposers

1. Build a tri-continental consortium: at least 3 EU MS/AC (include 1 widening country) + ≥2 ROK entities covering full stack (hardware, middleware, applications).

2. Integrate standards experts from ETSI QIS, ITU-T SG13, ISO/IEC JTC 1 to earn excellence points.

3. Plan open calls (FSTP) for 20-25 start-ups to validate algorithms on consortium hardware; earmark ~10 % of budget.

4. Leverage EuroHPC access vouchers for hybrid quantum-classical workflow benchmarking.

5. Embed gender & diversity KPIs voluntarily to score impact brownie points.

> By exploiting these EU-level advantages, consortia can boost proposal excellence, impact and implementation scores, maximising the likelihood of securing funding under HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-03.