The unprecedented precision of quantum clocks offers tremendous opportunities from fundamental science, sensing (e.g. for geodesy) to reliable and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing. Deploying these clocks in telecom networks could avoid damage to the economy through outages of fragile satellite navigation systems, on which ~10% of Europe’s GDP depends. The market for quantum devices is estimated to reach €3Bn by 2030 with quantum clocks covering ~40% of the quantum sensing market.

The scientific importance of advances enabling quantum clocks is underpinned by the Physics Nobel Prizes in 1997, 2001, 2005, 2012 and 2022, with five European laureates. Additionally, Europe is world leading in optical clock technology within academia and national metrology institutes as well as through its strong photonics industry. It is crucial that Europe retains its leading position in this strategic area.

QuRIOUS aims to train 15 young scientists to become Europe’s future quantum technology leaders. To do so, QuRIOUS brings together an outstanding group of scientists and innovators from academia, EU metrology institutes and industry with world class expertise in practical quantum technologies and a decade-long experience of subsystem development for transportable optical clocks. The team’s excellence is manifest in high-impact publications in journals like Nature, Science and Physical Review Letters and several patents. QuRIOUS is an international, multidisciplinary and intersectorial program aimed at developing specialized research skills in advanced and field deployable optical clocks, as well as generic and transferable skills. Development of these skills is crucial for a flourishing quantum ecosystem ensuring the European sovereignty in this disruptive and strategic area.