International standardisation will play a crucial role in accelerating the commercial adoption of quantum technologies. We report on the activities in mainstream international standards bodies to standardize different aspects of quantum technologies and identify where standards will be most relevant and will not impede future innovation.
Quantum computing (QC) is an emerging technology with transformative potential that remains in development and that promises significant impacts across a broad spectrum of industrial sectors. Small and medium enterprises, large corporations, and academic institutions are investing substantial resources to make this promising technology a commercial reality. Given the fragmented nature of current QC initiatives and the diverse development pathways being pursued to commercialize them, establishing coordinated standardization efforts across different global regions is critical to accelerate progress and ensure interoperability between the various proposed hardware and software solutions. This paper reviews recent standardization efforts and the main standards developing organizations working on the definition of future QC products. Finally, it analyzes the current discussion on the European Commission planned Quantum Act and its potential effects on the QC community.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing technology presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges for global governance. This comprehensive study examines the current landscape of international quantum computing regulation, exploring the delicate balance between fostering innovation and addressing security concerns. Through a mixed-methods approach, including policy analysis, expert interviews, and case studies of key countries and regions, we identify significant fragmentation in regulatory approaches, a pressing need for standardization, and ethical considerations that demand immediate attention. Our findings reveal strong stakeholder support for international cooperation, despite geopolitical tensions, and highlight the risk of a growing "quantum divide" between nations. Based on these insights, we propose a series of recommendations, including the establishment of an International Quantum Governance Forum, the adoption of a risk-based adaptive regulatory framework, and the implementation of a Global Quantum Literacy Initiative. This research contributes to the ongoing dialogue on quantum technology governance and provides a roadmap for policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to navigate the complexities of regulating this transformative technology. By addressing these challenges proactively, we can harness the full potential of quantum computing while mitigating its risks, ultimately shaping a quantum future that benefits all of humanity.
In order to establish new ICT technologies successfully on the market it is essential to build trust within any potential users. This is especially true for technologies which are based upon paradigms that are not yet familiar to these users, such as quantum technologies. Technical standards are an excellent means to offer a certain degree of legal reliability and technical interoperability that is required by industry for commercial take up. While such standards on the one hand must be clear enough to provide strict rules for implementers, on the other hand they also must remain flexible enough to not restrict progress in further research and development on the standardized technology. Hence such standards have to be produced by a wide variety of stakeholders taking into account all their different needs. The paper will provide some insight into the general mechanisms of standardization and their relation to quantum technologies. Alongside with the relevance of standardization as an enabler for certification of quantum based technologies it will explain its potential for securing intellectual property. In its first part paper will concentrate on the advantages of standardization and discuss fears some of the stakeholders share, in detail. The second part will focus on the technical work going on in ETSI in relation to quantum technologies. In 2008 ETSI created a standards work group on Quantum Key Distribution, the ETSI ISG QKD and more recently a group on Quantum-Safe Cryptography, the ETSI ISG QSC. A significant part of the technical work of these groups has already been published and will be introduced in the following. However a big share of work is still ongoing and lot more is planned for the future, as are continuous revisions and updates of the published specifications. This standardization work covers several levels: It starts of by problem statements in the form of use cases, from which technical requirements can be derived. These requirements then form the base upon which a reference architecture is created. Various different specifications describe in detail components, protocols and interfaces. An ontology is developed in order to guarantee common understanding of the technical terms used in standardization for quantum technologies. Special emphasis is provided to security proofs.
Abstract The Second Quantum Revolution facilitates the engineering of new classes of sensors, communication technologies, and computers with unprecedented capabilities. Supply chains for quantum technologies are emerging, some focused on commercially available components for enabling technologies and/or quantum-technologies research infrastructures, others with already higher technology-readiness levels, near to the market. In 2018, the European Commission has launched its large-scale and long-term Quantum Flagship research initiative to support and foster the creation and development of a competitive European quantum technologies industry, as well as the consolidation and expansion of leadership and excellence in European quantum technology research. One of the measures to achieve an accelerated development and uptake has been identified by the Quantum Flagship in its Strategic Research Agenda: The promotion of coordinated, dedicated standardisation and certification efforts. Standardisation is indeed of paramount importance to facilitate the growth of new technologies, and the development of efficient and effective supply chains. The harmonisation of technologies, methodologies, and interfaces enables interoperable products, innovation, and competition, all leading to structuring and hence growth of markets. As quantum technologies mature, the time has come to start thinking about further standardisation needs. This article presents insights on standardisation for quantum technologies from the perspective of the CEN-CENELEC Focus Group on Quantum Technologies (FGQT), which was established in June 2020 to coordinate and support the development of standards relevant for European industry and research.
The Quantum Technologies Flagship, officially launched on 29 October 2018 in Vienna, is a EUR 1 billion initiative, supported by the European Commission and Member States, funding over 5,000 of Europe's leading Quantum Technologies researchers over the next ten years and aiming at placing Europe at the forefront of the second quantum revolution. Its long-term vision is to develop a quantum web, where quantum computers, simulators and sensors are interconnected via quantum communication networks. This will help kick-starting a competitive European quantum industry transforming research results into commercial applications and disruptive technologies. \nThe Joint Research Center (JRC) in cooperation with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), European Commission’s Directorate General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), and the German Institute of Standardisation (DIN), organised in Brussels on 28-29 March 2019 the Putting-Science-Into-Standards (PSIS) workshop on Quantum Technologies. The PSIS workshops is an initiative that brings together researchers, industry and standardisers with the purpose of facilitating the identification and screening of emerging science and technology areas that can be introduced early into the process of standardisation to enable innovation.\nThe experience with the innovation impact pathway of the Graphene Flagship that combined technology push and market pull by working with industry stakeholders was used to demonstrate the benefit of a strategic use of standardisation to increase technology readiness levels and reach the market.\nThe participants of the workshop identified aspects that would benefit from standardisation activities in three main areas: (i) Quantum Key Distribution and quantum-safe security, (ii) Quantum metrology, sensing and imaging, (iii) and Quantum computing and internet. Several existing standardisation activities focussing on quantum enabled security techniques, quantum computing and communication were also mapped. With the direct involvement of the participants, the workshop prepared the ground towards a roadmap of additional pressing technology fields where standardisation could add value to the deployment of Quantum Technologies in industrial applications, including security, sensing, imaging and measurement. \nAn active dialogue between the communities of researchers and standardisers as well as a continuous interchange with the Quantum Technologies Flagship would be beneficial for future interactions and cooperation. The Standards, Innovation and Research Platform (STAIR / CEN and CENELEC) methodology could constitute a straightforward approach to host interactions between the communities of researchers and standardisers.\nNext steps would be to start an interaction (e.g. a cooperation agreement) with the Quantum Flagship and in particular with the recently (April 2019) launched Coordination and Support Action of the Quantum Flagship. As concrete actions for standardisation, the workshop suggested to focus on the standardisation of a quantum technology terminology and on the development of an EU standardisation roadmap for Quantum Technologies. These could be addressed by a European Committee for Standardization workshop or by a focus group.