France and the US have unveiled major new investments in quantum technology, underlining how quantum computing is becoming the next geopolitical technology battleground after AI and semiconductors. French President Emmanuel Macron announced 1 billion euros in additional funding for quantum computing, while the US Commerce Department committed 2 billion dollars to nine quantum computing companies through the Chips and Science Act.
In addition to the quantum investment, France is channeling another 550 million euros into advanced microelectronics. Macron framed the investment as a push for European technological sovereignty and said the next two years would be critical for building a European quantum value chain. French quantum startups such as Pasqal and Alice & Bob are expected to benefit, alongside broader efforts to strengthen domestic chip production.
The US Commerce Department is trading funding for a minority equity stake in the companies involved. By far the biggest recipient is IBM, which is set to receive 1 billion dollars to develop quantum chips and establish what it calls the first dedicated US quantum chip manufacturing facility. Globalfoundries will receive 375 million dollars to support semiconductor manufacturing for quantum platforms. Other recipients include D-Wave, Rigetti, Psiquantum, Quantinuum and Atom Computing.
