About EQA

The European Quantum Academy:
Coordinating Quantum Education and Talent Across Europe

The European Quantum Academy (EQA) is a pan-European initiative backed by €19.8 million in funding over four years. It brings together more than 70 partner institutions and over 100 affiliated organisations across more than 20 countries, operating through six Regional Quantum Academies spanning Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern and Iberian Europe.

The goal is to build a coordinated European framework for quantum education, covering the full pipeline from school outreach and harmonised Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes to doctoral training, professional upskilling and lifelong learning. By the end of the project, the Academy aims to train at least 600 quantum professionals through advanced degree-level programmes and reach more than 5,000 learners through its wider activities.

How it's organised

Work Packages

WP1 Engagement with the general public and with high-schools

Work Package 1 will establish a coordinated European approach to quantum outreach and high-school education by mapping existing actors, initiatives, and educational content across Europe. Based on this overview, it will identify gaps and develop a roadmap for how the Quantum Academy can strengthen engagement with both the general public and high-school audiences. The work package will also support mobility, knowledge exchange, and meetings between key stakeholders in quantum outreach and education, while promoting flagship activities that can catalyse concrete engagement actions across Europe.

WP2 EQA Bachelor and Master

Work Package 2 will create the European Quantum Masters as a collaborative network of higher education institutions offering harmonised quantum science and technology curricula across Europe. It will map existing MSc programmes, identify skills gaps, and develop a qualification framework for the EQA Masters. Through joint curriculum development, knowledge sharing, and direct engagement with students, the work package will upgrade existing programmes, support the creation of new master-level offerings, and provide practical training opportunities. Over time, it will expand the EQA Masters network beyond the project consortium to strengthen Europe's quantum education pipeline.

WP3 EQA Pioneer PhD Programme

Work Package 3 will develop the EQA PhD Program by mapping existing doctoral training requirements across European institutions and identifying gaps in current provision. It will structure a coordinated PhD framework that supports international and intersectoral mobility, multiple-mentor models, and shared access to courses, teachers, resources, and infrastructure. By developing best-practice guidelines and contributing to more standardised European PhD practices in quantum science and technology, the work package will strengthen doctoral training while supporting PhD mobility and the EQA Pioneer Program.

WP4 Quantum workforce upskilling and reskilling

Work Package 4 will develop a coordinated European approach to post-graduation quantum training by identifying academic and commercial actors offering QT-related courses, modules, certifications, and learning tools. It will create a structured inventory of training resources aligned with the CFQT, target groups, and learning formats, while facilitating exchange between regions through workshops, shared module libraries, and collaboration with industry networks. The work package will also support visibility and access by developing an online portal with curated, searchable training offerings, connected to the main Academy platform and a Career Pathway Navigator to guide learners and professionals across different quantum career paths.

WP5 Ecosystem monitoring and growth

Work Package 5 will solidify the connection between quantum education, workforce needs, and regional innovation across Europe. It will monitor the quantum job market, emerging skills, and long-term industry trends to ensure that EQA activities remain aligned with future talent demands. The work package will also expand the global quantum education ecosystem through strategic partnerships, coordination with EU and international actors, and support for Regional Quantum Academies. By promoting entrepreneurship, business readiness, vocational training, and knowledge exchange, it will help prepare learners and professionals for practical opportunities in the growing quantum economy.

WP6 Diadactic support and quality assurance

Work Package 6 will ensure the quality, coordination, and knowledge-sharing capacity of the European Quantum Academy by identifying key networks, stakeholders, resources, and gaps across the quantum education landscape. It will establish Special Interest Groups in strategic areas, while developing practical frameworks, tools, and activities such as forums, clinics, surveys, and catalogues to support didactic innovation and quality assurance of EQA courses and materials. By connecting consortium partners with the wider European community, the work package will foster collaboration, shared standards, and continuous improvement across the Academy.

WP7 Experimental Skill Development

Work Package 7 will strengthen experimental quantum education in Europe by creating a comprehensive and accessible overview of existing experimental teaching capabilities, resources, and infrastructure. These resources will be aligned with the Quantum Competence Framework to identify coverage gaps and define a clear roadmap for future development. Based on this roadmap, the work package will support knowledge exchange, event-based training, scaling, upgrading, and the development of experimental capacity across European institutions.

WP8 Consortium Management, Communication & Infrastructure

Work Package 8 will ensure the effective implementation and long-term sustainability of the European Quantum Academy through strong project management, clear coordination structures, and inclusive governance. It will provide the operational infrastructure needed to support collaboration across partners and Regional Quantum Academies, while ensuring financial oversight, visibility, reporting, and strategic alignment.

The regional network

Regional Quantum Academies

The Regional Quantum Academies (RQAs) are the regional link between the European Quantum Academy (EQA), its Work Packages (WPs), and the wider quantum education and training community. They connect universities, training providers, companies, students, outreach organisations, and other relevant actors with EQA activities and opportunities.

An essential role of the RQAs is to build strong regional networks beyond the formal EQA partnership. They connect organisations, identify regional needs, support new collaborations, and provide a two-way link between regional actors and the EQA WPs. Where relevant, they can also organise additional regional activities such as meetings, workshops, or student events.

By maintaining active networks, the RQAs help the EQA reach and mobilise actors across Europe for surveys, mappings, training activities, and other requests. Each RQA should have a small active governance group, typically two to five people, responsible for coordination and for ensuring that important regional actors are represented.

The team

Key people

Aarhus University — Coordination

Jacob Sherson

Coordinator, WP5/8 lead · Aarhus University

Simon Goorney

Head of Operations, RQA support Northern Europe · Aarhus University

Eleni Karydi

Policy Analyst, Operations Support · Aarhus University

Boards & representatives

VK

Venkatesh Kannan

Ecosystem Board representative · Irish Centre for High-End Computing, University of Galway

Vanessa Walcher

Industry Advisory Board representative · Infineon Technologies Austria

Shaeema Zaman

EDI representative · Science Melting Pot

Work Packages

WP1

Yasser Omar

Lead · Instituto Superior Técnico

WP2

AG

Aurél Gábris

Lead · Czech Technical University in Prague

WP3

Tarik Yefsah

Co-lead · Paris Sciences et Lettres University

SW

Shannon Whitlock

Co-lead · University of Strasbourg

Marie Aucagne

Co-lead · University of Strasbourg

YM

Youma Mucret

Co-lead · University of Strasbourg

WP4

Araceli Venegas-Gomez

Lead · QURECA

WP5

Jacob Sherson

Lead · Aarhus University

WP6

Philipp Bitzenbauer

Lead · Leipzig University

Jonas Bley

Co-lead · Leipzig University

Malte Ubben

Co-lead · Leipzig University

WP7

Christian Andersen

Lead · Delft University of Technology

WP8

Jacob Sherson

Lead · Aarhus University

Regional Quantum Academies (RQAs)

Northern Europe

JS

Jan Philip Solovej

Lead · University of Copenhagen

KS

Kim Splittorff

Lead · University of Copenhagen

Louise Kindt

Lead · University of Copenhagen

Simon Goorney

Support · Aarhus University

Abuzer Yakaryilmaz

Support · University of Latvia

Central Eastern Europe

EA

Elizabeth Agudelo Ospina

Lead · Vienna University of Technology

AK

Adrian Kołodziejski

Support · University of Gdańsk

South Eastern Europe

Elisabetta Paladino

Lead · University of Catania

South Western Europe

Verónica Ahufinger Breto

Lead · Institute of Photonic Sciences

Additional RQA co-leads (region unspecified)

Tarik Yefsah

Co-lead · Paris Sciences et Lettres University

SW

Shannon Whitlock

Co-lead · University of Strasbourg

Marie Aucagne

Co-lead · University of Strasbourg

YM

Youma Mucret

Co-lead · University of Strasbourg

Jan Aarts

Co-lead · Quantum Delta NL

FB

Felix Binder

Co-lead · Trinity College Dublin

Yasser Omar

Support · Instituto Superior Técnico