Novo Nordisk Foundation to establish quantum chip fab in Copenhagen
Quantum Foundry Copenhagen and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have announced plans to establish a 5,300 square metre quantum chip fabrication facility in Copenhagen, Denmark. The facility is expected to open in 2027 and will develop and scale manufacturing capabilities for next-generation quantum chips.
The facility will combine laboratory space for nanofabrication of quantum materials, advanced characterisation, testing, chip assembly and packaging with ultra-high vacuum manufacturing capabilities. It will offer wafer fabrication for quantum technology vendors globally on commercial terms, according to a press release from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The announcement reflects a broader European push to translate quantum research into industrial capability. Europe has built strong research environments in quantum science, but global leadership will ultimately depend on the ability to manufacture and scale quantum chips commercially. The EU's Quantum Europe Strategy and the forthcoming Quantum Act both prioritise this transition.
"Europe’s quantum ambitions depend on our ability to turn scientific excellence into industrial capability. Strengthening European capacity to develop and manufacture quantum chips is essential for our competitiveness, resilient supply chains and technological sovereignty," said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed more than DKK 2.9 billion – approximately EUR 390 million – to quantum technologies, including the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme at the Niels Bohr Institute, which aims to develop Denmark's first fully functional fault-tolerant quantum computer before 2034. The new facility will collaborate closely with that programme.
"Quantum technologies are expected to become a foundational technology platform for the future, much like semiconductors, computing and the internet have been in previous generations. If Europe is to succeed in quantum, it must not repeat the pattern from earlier technology waves, where fundamental science was strong in Europe but industrial scale-up and global champions emerged elsewhere," said Lene Oddershede, Chief Scientific Officer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Quantum Foundry Copenhagen was founded in 2023 and is owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
