French German Dialogue of Quantum Technology Players in Paris

Paris, 07th of October 2025 – The French German Dialogue of Quantum Technology Players took place on September 23 in Paris and Massy, attended by 60 representatives from research, industry, start-ups and political decision-makers from France and Germany. The morning session was held at Station F, and the afternoon at Massy on the Quandela company site.

On September 23, 2025, nearly 60 representatives from the French and German quantum ecosystems met to accelerate Franco-German cooperation in this field.

Following the first quantum dialogue organised at the French Embassy in Berlin last November, this dialogue is part of the joint ambition of the French and German governments to ‘bring together the quantum computing ecosystems in France, Germany and the EU and to scale them up’ – reaffirmed in the economic agenda of the Franco-German Council of Ministers on August 29, 2025.

By focusing on the needs and expectations of future end-users of quantum technologies, this event, organised by a Franco-German consortium made up of the French Embassy in Germany and the German Embassy in France, the CEA and Fraunhofer research bodies, the Quandela company, the Le Lab Quantique association and QUTAC, a group of very large German industrialists, had a triple objective.

First, to stimulate new contacts between the French and German ecosystems, as well as within these ecosystems between a wide range of players: start-ups providing quantum solutions, political decision-makers, providers of high-performance computing infrastructures, large industrial companies, research and innovation organisations, etc. Second, to enable real exchanges where everyone could express themselves and listen to each other’s needs and challenges. And third, to stimulate new commitments from the ecosystem that would fuel the Franco-German dynamic around the development of these technologies.

The day brought together corporate representatives and start-ups from Germany: Attocube systems, BMW, Bosch, Celestical, Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Bahn, HQS Quantum Simulations, JoS QUANTUM, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Siemens ;

Corporate representatives and start-ups from France: Alice & Bob, Axa, BPCE Group, C12, Capgemini, Caisse des Dépôts, Crédit Agricole, EDF, Eviden, OVHcloud, Pasqal, Quandela, Quobly, QbitSoft, SLB (Schlumberger), Thales ;

Network representatives: European Champions Alliance, Le Lab Quantique, Munich Quantum Valley, Quantum Energy Initiative, Quantum Business Network, and the Quantum Technology & Application Consortium (QUTAC);

Experts from public authorities, research and innovation organisations, and high-performance computing infrastructures: Agence Nationale de la Recherche, CEA, DLR, European Commission, Fraunhofer, French Ministry of Economics and Finance, French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, French Ministry of Research and Higher Education, German Embassy in France, Jülich Supercomputing Center, Quantum BW, SGPI, SPRIND, VDI Technologiezentrum.

Organised at the heart of the innovation ecosystem, the morning session, introduced by Lucie Finet, deputy director of the French Tech mission, provided an opportunity for active discussions on how to collectively support the development of quantum technologies in France and Germany.

Discussions were based on initial trends and ideas identified as part of the dialogue held a year ago on the obstacles and potentials of supporting the development of quantum technologies. This year’s discussions aimed to go further by encouraging participants to think about the role that each of them could play in taking the co-development and adoption of quantum technologies by future users to the next level. Individual commitments were made to contribute to this dynamic.

Participants then visited the Quandela factory, a pioneer in photonic quantum computing. In the presence of Mr. Stephan Steinlein, German Ambassador to France, and Dr. Niccolo Somaschi, cofounder and CEO of Quandela, they participated in a tour of the facility as well as two round-table discussions:

The first round table, moderated by Mr. Karem Hadla, coordinator of QUTAC, was designed to enable an exchange of views between French and German industrial players as potential users of quantum computing, with contributions from : Frédéric Barbaresco (Thales), Dr Joseph Doetsch (Lufthansa Industry Solutions), Andrea Le Vot (Crédit Agricole) and Dr. Thomas Strohm (Bosch).

The second, “Why and how should we build an integrated European quantum infrastructure?” was moderated by Marine Xech-Gaspa (Quandela), who gave the floor to those involved in European supercomputing: Cyril Allouche (Eviden), Dr. Philippe Deniel (CEA Très Grand Centre de Calcul), Dr. Oscar Diez (European Commission), Prof. Dr. Thomas Lippert (Jülich Supercomputing Centre) and Sabine Mehr (Grand Equipement National de Calcul Intensif).

A concluding session, moderated by Axelle Cheney-Grünberger, Senior Expert in Technological Innovation at the French Embassy in Germany, gave Loic Le Loarer, Quantum Strategy Coordinator (SGPI) in France, Markus Wilkens, in charge of Europe at the VDI Technologiezentrum, and Nicolas Bergeret, Consul General of France in Frankfurt, the opportunity to give their feedback on the event.

The momentum generated by this dialogue will continue over the coming months, with the aim of strengthening synergies and stimulating further cooperation between players in the two countries. As a result:

France will be guest country at the Quantum Effects fair on October 7 and 8 2025, in Stuttgart, with several French exhibitors including representatives from GENCI, Alice & Bob, C12, Crystal Quantum Computing, QbitSoft, Quandela, Quobly et OVHcloud.

The organisation of a summit on European digital sovereignty (announced at the Franco–German Council of Ministers in August 2025) on November 18, 2025, in Berlin – including quantum technologies as a key topic.

The potential organisation of a follow-up dialogue in Frankfurt by the Consulate General of France in 2026.

About Quandela
Quandela is a leading quantum computing company. Quandela designs, builds, and delivers industry-grade quantum computing solutions, including data center-ready quantum computing systems, cloud-accessible quantum processors, and algorithm services with industrial value. Quandela is committed to making advanced quantum computing accessible to all, empowering innovators to solve the most pressing industrial and societal challenges.

Learn more at www.quandela.com

About Le Lab Quantique
Le Lab Quantique is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote quantum technologies in France and internationally. In order to foster synergies between public and academic players, large corporations, and start-ups, Le Lab Quantique organises events (workshops, hackathons, scientific and artistic exhibitions) bringing together all players in the ecosystem. It produces content to promote quantum technologies and help identify use cases, coordinates funding initiatives at the regional and national levels, and supports workforce development by connecting innovation and talent. The association’s board is composed of members from QCWare, Pasqal, Quantinuum, Quantonation, BMW Group, and QuantX. The association has also received support from leading French manufacturers and public institutions such as BPI.

About the CEA
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a major research organization working in the best interests of the French State, its economy and citizens. Thanks to its strong roots in fundamental research, it is able to provide tangible solutions to meet their needs in four key fields: Low-carbon energy (nuclear and renewable), Digital technology, Technology for medicine of the future, Defense and national security. Three key values guide the work of the CEA and its teams: curiosity, cooperation and awareness of responsibilities. The CEA ranks among the top research organizations in the Top 100 Global Innovators list, according to Clarivate. It is also the leading French research organization in terms of patent filings in Europe, according to the European Patent Office (EPO) 2024.

In the field of quantum technology, the CEA, notably through its Laboratory for Systems and Technologies Integration (CEA List), focuses its research on intelligent digital systems: artificial intelligence, the factory of the future, cyber-physical systems, computing, quantum in particular, and digital health.

Find out more: www.cea.fr

About Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, is one of the world’s leading organizations for applied research. It plays a major role in innovation by prioritizing research on cutting-edge technologies and the transfer of results to industry to strengthen Germany’s industrial base and for the benefit of society as a whole. Since its founding as a nonprofit organization in 1949, Fraunhofer has held a unique position in the German research and innovation ecosystem.

With nearly 32,000 employees across 75 institutes and independent research units in Germany, Fraunhofer operates with an annual budget of €3.6 billion, €3.1 billion of which is generated by contract research − Fraunhofer’s core business model. Unlike other public research organizations, base funding from the German federal and state governments is merely the foundation for the annual research budget. This serves as the basis for groundbreaking precompetitive research that will become important for the private sector and society in the years ahead. Fraunhofer’s distinctive feature is its large share of industry revenue, guaranteeing close collaboration with the private sector and industry, and the consistent focus of Fraunhofer’s research on the market. In 2024, industry revenue accounted for €867 million of its budget. Fraunhofer’s research portfolio is augmented by competitively acquired public-sector funding, pursuing the right balance between public-sector and industry revenue.

About QUTAC
The Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC) is a consortium that brings together some of Germany’s leading economic and industrial players to advance quantum computing to the level of large-scale industrial applications. QUTAC members include Airbus, BASF, BMW Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bosch, Deutsche Telekom, Infineon, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Merck, Munich Re, SAP, Siemens, TRUMPF, and Volkswagen. Through a series of joint development projects, QUTAC members are making decisive progress towards the first practical applications of quantum computing, both within their own sectors and across sectors. The consortium’s objectives are to identify, develop, test, and share applications for quantum computing and to identify funding needs.

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