QUROPE Quantum Information Processing and Communication in Europe

As a highly promising field, QIST is often supported at the local level (city or region). Several examples in Europe have led to the creation of centers for Quantum Information, sometimes in a more general context. This funding can be quite stable in time, and usually consists in particular of a large startup sum, but also in a more long-term support. One can cite for instance:

• The region of Catalonia in Spain strongly supported the creation of the Institute for Photonic Science (ICFO) in 2002 in Barcelona, which has a strong emphasis on QIST. This institute is meant to be permanent and, when at full size, will employ up to 300 people;
• The Region of Tyrol and the city of Innsbruck in Austria also supported the creation of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI); this centre was mentioned as "an example of outstanding quality" for activity in atomic molecular and optical physics research in a recent report of the US National Research Council;
• The Region Paris-Ile-de-France through the creation of the Francilian Institute for Research on Cold Atoms (IFRAF), which comprises more than 30 groups from 6 different laboratories in Greater Paris;
• The United Kingdom is funding an Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration (IRC) in QIPC between leading research universities and industrial laboratories. The initiative started in April 2004 with a funding level of 15M€ in four years;
• The German ministery for education and research (BMBF) launched in January 2010 a programme on quantum communication as part of its strategic initiative "IKT 2020".

These initiatives can either, as for ICFO, create a new centre of excellence, or as in the case of IFRAF, construct a new centre of excellence from an existing pool of competence. In most cases the local funding is motivated by the development of a high-impact scientific field and high-level research, and it has a beneficial impact on local industry and economy.