Copenhagen will soon house a 5,300-square-meter fabrication plant dedicated to quantum computing chips, a facility slated to begin operations in 2027 with the explicit goal of commercial-scale production.
The announcement arrives as Europe confronts a familiar gap: world-class quantum research that too often fails to translate into industrial leadership. Scientific breakthroughs alone cannot secure technological sovereignty. Manufacturing capacity, particularly for the specialized processors inside quantum computers, determines who captures economic value from the next computing wave.
Quantum Foundry Copenhagen, owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, will operate the new plant. Its design integrates nanofabrication labs, advanced characterization and testing equipment, chip assembly and packaging lines, plus ultra-high-vacuum manufacturing under one roof. The facility intends to offer wafer fabrication services to quantum technology vendors worldwide on commercial terms.
The Foundation has already committed more than DKK 2.9 billion, roughly €390 million, to quantum technology initiatives. That figure includes the Quantum Computing Programme at the Niels Bohr Institute, which targets Denmark’s first fully operational fault-tolerant quantum computer before 2034. The foundry will work alongside that research program, forging a direct pipeline from laboratory discovery to industrial output.
Peter Krogstrup, CEO of Quantum Foundry Copenhagen, framed the ambition as becoming a leading global supplier of quantum processors while enabling quantum companies to scale production. Professor Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, pointed to quantum as one of the century’s defining technological fields and emphasized the importance of connecting research investment with manufacturing capability.
Meanwhile, both Denmark and the European Union are accelerating quantum policy efforts. The Quantum Europe Strategy, the forthcoming Quantum Act, and Denmark’s national strategy titled “From quantum research to quantum industry” all push toward commercialization and resilient supply chains.
Lene Oddershede, Chief Scientific Officer at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, warned against repeating history. Europe led in fundamental science during previous technology waves, she noted, yet industrial scale-up and global platforms emerged elsewhere. Building domestic fabrication capacity, as a result, represents a deliberate departure from that pattern. The 2027 opening date gives Europe roughly three years to prove it can convert research strength into manufacturing power.
