The European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) has published its latest review “ERC Proof of Concept Grants: Exploring the innovation potential of ERC-funded research”.
The report highlights project Umem4QC as an example of good practice. The project was carried out between 2017 and 2018 by the Jožef Stefan Institute and Nanocenter, demonstrating how fundamental ERC-funded research can successfully transition towards practical applications.
Being featured in the ERCEA report acknowledges the project’s strong innovation potential and its role in bridging the gap between scientific excellence and real-world impact.
They wrote:
The ERC PoC-2017 project Umem4QC focused on developing a revolutionary memory technology based on a newly discovered quantum electronic phenomenon — charge configuration memory (CCM). This concept offers unprecedented performance in terms of speed, energy efficiency and low-temperature operation, addressing the growing demands of high-performance computing in the face of Moore’s Law stagnation. The project, which builds on the ERC AdG-2012 project TRAJECTORY led by Dragan Mihailović, demonstrated the viability of CCM, showcasing its picosecond speeds, low energy consumption and ability to operate at cryogenic temperatures (below – 150°C), outperforming existing memory technologies such as magnetic and superconducting memory. It also revealed the simplicity of CCM, which is crucial for its integration into both classical and quantum computing systems. Furthermore, the PoC established a business case, including a commercialisation strategy, IP portfolio and market potential, setting the stage for further advancements and positioning the technology as a leader in next-generation cryogenic computing.
Read the full ERCEA report: https://erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-06/Exploring-the-innovation-potential-ERC-funded-research.pdf