Full Breakdown
Copenhagen’s New Quantum Chip Foundry: A European Manufacturing Leap
9/4/2026, 8:03:49 PM
Background – Europe’s Quantum Manufacturing Gap
Europe has built a strong research base in quantum science, but the continent has lagged in the industrial step of turning breakthroughs into commercial chips. The EU’s Quantum Europe Strategy and the forthcoming Quantum Act shift emphasis toward commercialization and manufacturing, aiming to avoid the pattern where research thrives while scale-up occurs elsewhere. Countries such as France and Finland have invested heavily in quantum computing, yet neither hosts an open commercial foundry that can serve multiple vendors.
Timeline
- September 4 (scheduled) – The Novo Nordisk Foundation and Quantum Foundry Copenhagen are scheduled to announce plans for a new quantum chip fabrication facility in Copenhagen, slated to open in 2027.
- 2027 – Projected opening of the 5,300 m² facility.
- 2034 (target) – The foundation’s quantum computing programme aims to deliver Denmark’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer.
Data & Statistics
- Facility size: 5,300 square metres.
- Funding: DKK 2.9 billion (? €390 million) committed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation to quantum technologies, covering both research and manufacturing.
- The foundation’s quantum computing programme at the Niels Bohr Institute received an initial DKK 1.5 billion grant in 2022.
Official Statements & Responses
Lene Oddershede, Chief Scientific Officer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, framed the project as a step toward positioning Europe centrally in the global quantum ecosystem.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, linked the foundry to EU policy, stating that strengthening European capacity to develop and manufacture quantum chips is essential for competitiveness and technological sovereignty.
Why It Matters for European Tech Sovereignty
The foundry will offer wafer fabrication, nanofabrication, testing, assembly, packaging, and ultra-high-vacuum manufacturing on commercial terms to quantum vendors worldwide. By providing a dedicated manufacturing hub, Europe hopes to keep more of the quantum hardware supply chain within the continent, reducing reliance on external foundries and supporting a sustainable deep-tech industry. The model mirrors the semiconductor sector, where firms like TSMC enabled design-focused companies to thrive without owning factories.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Strengthening European capacity to develop and manufacture quantum chips is essential for competitiveness and technological sovereignty,” — Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president of the European Commission
- “Europe’s quantum ambitions depend on our ability to turn scientific excellence into industrial capability,” — Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president of the European Commission
