The Jožef Stefan Institute, the country's leading research institution, has won €5.7 million in EU funds to develop a Slovenian Quantum Science Hub (SQUASH), a project valued at €12 million.

The project, which will also receive funds from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, aims to attract top quantum technology experts.

SQUASH will bring together 40 post-doctoral researchers from abroad who will be awarded fellowships to develop their research skills in four key multidisciplinary areas - quantum theory, quantum materials, quantum technology and quantum computing and information.

The project consortium involves 43 partners, including five companies from Slovenia.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation says the goal is to develop top-skilled innovative experts in quantum research and technologies, who will be ready to meet the challenges of the second quantum revolution.

Through a wide range of international and cross-sectoral secondments and training programmes, the fellows will gain additional skills and boost their career prospects.

SQUASH has won the €5.7 million from the MSCA co-funding regional, national and international programmes (COFUND), which are part of the Horizon Europe, a key EU research and innovation funding programme.

According to the results released by the European Commission earlier this week, a total of €96.2 million will be distributed among 27 COFUND projects: 12 PhD training programmes and 15 postdoctoral fellowship programmes of outstanding quality.

The ministry said that SQUASH received an exceptionally high score, and was ranked third among the 15 selected post-doctoral projects.