DG Connect and ESA sign an ambitious agreement on quantum computing infrastructure, while CH participates in first call of the EuroHPC JU.
The European Commission signed a technical agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) that shall form the basis for their collaboration in designing a quantum communication infrastructure (QCI) based on quantum key distribution. This initiative shall promote a new generation of ultra-secure communications in Europe. The QCI shall consist of both surface and space-based components. Those on the ground, under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect), comprise a series of quantum communication networks linking infrastructure and data sites in Europe. The space-based components under the responsibility of ESA include satellite-based quantum communication systems able to communicate with the systems on the terrestrial surface. Under the next MFF, work on quantum communication will increase greatly and be key to both Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe programme (DEP).
Another undertaking in the digital domain is already in full swing: the first two calls of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU) closed during April. Three consortia applied to host pre-exascale supercomputers, while five entities applied for petascale. In both cases, at least two of the proposals will receive funding through the EuroHPC JU (for details on funding see SwissCore article). Switzerland joined the JU in March and participates in a Finland-led consortium that applied to host one of the pre-exascale machines that will be acquired. For the pre-exascale machines, the EuroHPC JU will acquire the supercomputers in cooperation with the selected hosting entities and own them, whereas, in the case of the petascale machines, only the share corresponding to the EU funding will be owned by the JU. Access time to all the supercomputers shall be apportioned according to the financial contribution by co-funders (EuroHPC JU and applicants). User allocation of the EuroHPC access time to the supercomputers will be based on open calls for expression of interest launched by the JU and evaluated by independent experts. These calls shall be open to EU Member States and all Horizon-2020 associated countries. Under the next MFF, the potential successor of the EuroHPC JU shall receive funding from two programmes: Horizon Europe and DEP.
Furthermore, the High-Level Expert Group on the Impact of the Digital Transformation on EU Labour Markets issued its final report with recommendations on 8 April 2019. These recommendations shall lay the ground-work for new labour relations, propose a new social contract and propose measures to decrease the skills gap for the jobs of the future. Besides upskilling measures, new arrangements are needed to protect European in non-standard employment and to ensure the value of digital ownership is redistributed by e.g. treating data as capital, labour or intellectual property. The authors emphasise furthermore that structural skills gaps shall be reduced, notably for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), workers at risk of automation and the low-skilled. In that context, 25 Member States (not including BG, HR, HU) and Norway signed a declaration to strengthen the participation of women in digital on the Digital Day.
Moreover, Member States signed two more declarations. They committed to join forces on the digitisation of rural areas and agriculture and to collaborate in digitising cultural heritage. Precision agriculture and the digitisation of cultural heritage will continue to be supported under the research and innovation programmes, while DEP will support the construction of an AI real-scale reference site for agriculture and provide funding for Europeana, the digital service infrastructure for cultural heritage currently supported by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).