Open Innovation – Open Tools for Research and Teaching in Quantum Technologies and Photonics
Funding objective and purpose of the grant: The BMFTR supports pre-competitive research and development individual projects or joint projects that lead to new or fundamentally improved open tools. The term tools refers to open source hardware as well as the provision of suitable open interfaces or development tools for corresponding components and software for hardware and setup design as well as their use. Professional open source hardware or systems or subsystems with open interfaces should lead to easier and broader use in research and development as well as in teaching.
Projects must relate to specific applications and lead to clear and measurable benefits (availability, price, ease of use, etc.). The tools should be freely available after the end of the term, e.g. by publishing the results in open source repositories and corresponding licenses, but also e.g. by further developing them into marketable products.
The goals are clearly defined:
- Open tools for research and development that allow unrestricted use and also further development by third parties.
- Open tools that are particularly suitable for interdisciplinary FE work.
- Open and cheaper, yet powerful tools for research, development, teaching and training that allow easier access to quantum science.
In any case, the works must have a significant advantage in terms of at least one of the following characteristics:
- Reproducibility (e.g. open source solutions)
- Usability for open innovation (e.g. through open interfaces or open source components)
- Easier availability (e.g. through significantly reduced costs)
- Robustness in handling or operation
- Focusing of the target parameters in relation to the application and target group
Deadline date 22.01.2026 – 30.04.2026
More info: Open Innovation – Open Tools for Research and Teaching in Quantum Technologies and Photonics