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Macron Pledges €1.55 Billion for Quantum and European Semiconductor Push

Paris says the funding will strengthen French capacity to compete with the United States and China by pressing EU partners to use shared research borrowing and build joint technology coalitions

Overview

  • President Emmanuel Macron announced the new commitments drawn from France 2030 at the CEA site in Bruyères‑le‑Châtel, with €1 billion added to France's national quantum plan and €550 million earmarked for a future European semiconductor programme.
  • The announcement, made on Friday, May 22, comes with calls from the Élysée for an 'emprunt européen' for research and for French research bodies to form coalitions with European counterparts.
  • Presidential sources said private firms present at the event are expected to make complementary investment or partnership announcements to leverage the public funds for research and industrial scale‑up.
  • France framed the move as a response to accelerating U.S. and Chinese spending in critical technologies, a point underscored by a near‑simultaneous U.S. announcement of $2 billion for quantum support for major companies.
  • The new cash builds on earlier national programmes — a 2021 quantum plan (€1.8 billion) plus €500 million in 2024 and a 2022 semiconductor strategy totaling €5.5 billion — and could influence EU budget talks for 2028–34 and upcoming diplomatic investment events.