The European Union has officially approved the Framework Partnership Agreement for CHAMP-ION (Championing a European Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Line of Ion-Traps), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at establishing Europe’s first pilot line for ion-trap chip fabrication. This milestone under the EU Chips Act strengthens Europe’s quantum technology ecosystem and advances its technological sovereignty.
Coordinated by Silicon Austria Labs (SAL), the CHAMP-ION project outlines a seven-year plan to develop a scalable and sustainable manufacturing network for ion-trap chips across Europe. The initiative aims to transition from lab-scale prototypes to industrial mass production of fully integrated, miniaturized ion-trap chips, featuring on-chip electronics and photonic structures. These chips have critical applications in quantum computing, sensing, and communication.
“This initiative is crucial in securing Europe’s place at the forefront of quantum innovation,” said Christina Hirschl, CEO of Silicon Austria Labs. “CHAMP-ION reinforces Europe’s leadership in the global quantum technology landscape and highlights our outstanding scientific and technological capabilities. By fostering a strong cross-border ecosystem, we can accelerate the development of reliable, market-ready quantum devices and reduce dependency on international supply chains.”
Austria’s Innovation Minister, Peter Hanke, emphasized the national importance of the project: “Key technologies such as quantum science play an important role for Austria as a location of innovation. Our country already holds a leading global position in this field, which we are committed to expanding through targeted investments. The participation of five Austrian organizations in the European CHAMP-ION initiative, under SAL’s leadership, is a significant milestone in securing Austria’s position in international quantum research and practical applications. This will also benefit the Austrian economy, as a strong innovation location is inseparably linked to a competitive industrial landscape.”
Mohssen Moridi, Senior Director at SAL, underlined the project’s industrial focus: “The CHAMP-ION pilot line unites Europe’s ion-trap technology expertise for scalable quantum chip production. With SAL acting as the main hosting site, we are proud to develop standardized processes tailored to industrial needs. This initiative reflects Europe’s ambition to build a resilient and sovereign supply chain for quantum technologies.”
The consortium comprises 21 partners across six European countries, including research organizations, universities, SMEs, and large corporations such as Infineon Technologies. Founded in 2018, SAL is a premier non-university research center specializing in electronics and software-based systems, bridging academic research with industrial application.
