Quantum technologies represent a new agenda that has the potential to fundamentally change the security environment on aglobal scale. Countries or groups of countries that adopt these technologies before others will be at an advantage. The aim ofthe authors was to provide an overview of the current status of creating conditions for the development of quantum technologies in selected Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia). The studymaps the conceptual, organisational and technical situation in this area, focusing on the five North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member states and the European Union. As a result of the investigation, it is found that the complexity of quantum technologies requires cooperation at two levels. The first level is undoubtedly cooperation between the state sector,scientific organisations, the defence sector and multinational companies. The second level is cooperation between individual states or within international organisations. Regarding the security aspects of these technologies, cooperation based on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and European Union is crucial. Ensuring technological superiority in the coming years is a big challenge for the United States of America, resp. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union.
Quantum technologies represent a new agenda that has the potential to fundamentally change the security environment on aglobal scale. Countries or groups of countries that adopt these technologies before others will be at an advantage. The aim ofthe authors was to provide an overview of the current status of creating conditions for the development of quantum technologies in selected Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia). The studymaps the conceptual, organisational and technical situation in this area, focusing on the five North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member states and the European Union. As a result of the investigation, it is found that the complexity of quantum technologies requires cooperation at two levels. The first level is undoubtedly cooperation between the state sector,scientific organisations, the defence sector and multinational companies. The second level is cooperation between individual states or within international organisations. Regarding the security aspects of these technologies, cooperation based on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and European Union is crucial. Ensuring technological superiority in the coming years is a big challenge for the United States of America, resp. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union.
Over the past decades, a gradual technological marginalisation of Europe could be observed, as it became dependent on imports of advanced microchips from the United States and Taiwan. However, despite planned investments in the development and production of semiconductors in the EU Member States, Europe is still unlikely to be able to compete with the United States and China in this area. The solution to this problem may lie within quantum technology, the economic use of which is in the initial phase in all world centres. The performance of quantum computing surpasses algorithms used in silicon technology by several tens of orders of magnitude. This means that access to quantum technology will become a basic determinant of security in the coming years. The aim of this paper is to present the issue of quantum technology and its most important implicationsin the context of the technological sovereignty of the European Union.
In the era of digital transformation quantum technologies represent a new challenge for the society, industries, governmental sector. The benefits and consequences of the adoption of quantum technologies have yet to be fully explored. In this context the role these technologies will play in urban context is essential to explore. The present study examines the European Union’s quantum initiatives and its vision of the possible applications of quantum solutions. This study applies these considerations to the European urban context and explores it through the prism of public values created by the smart cities and smart city dimensions. The findings of this research highlight the socio-technical implications and transformative potential of quantum technologies on European smart urban environments and offer strategic insights for urban planners, policymakers, and city managers to prepare for the opportunities presented by quantum technologies.
Given the European and global context, the international scientific and technological competition, there are challenges that our society, where the exchange of information is omnipresent, must meet. These are the issues regarding quantum technologies. The countries which master them will have an undeniable strategic advantage in the fields of molecular medicine, new materials, carbon dioxide storage, etc. States, industrial giants, private and academic research consortia are investing massively in fundamental research or breakthrough innovation projects in the communication, computing, simulation, cryptography, metrology and other sectors. quantum sensors. This non-exhaustive article comments on economic and societal issues, describes the state of research, etc. It presents some reminders of quantum mechanics, necessary elements of technology and presents some current and future applications. It offers elements of foresight. Images or figures are the property of their authors cited as the source. For more information, bibliographical references and links to the websites of organizations and institutions are provided.
Recently, the European Commission supported by many European countries has announced large investments towards the commercialization of quantum technology (QT) to address and mitigate some of the biggest challenges facing today's digital era - e.g. secure communication and computing power. For more than two decades the QT community has been working on the development of QTs, which promise landmark breakthroughs leading to commercialization in various areas. The ambitious goals of the QT community and expectations of EU authorities cannot be met solely by individual initiatives of single countries, and therefore, require a combined European effort of large and unprecedented dimensions comparable only to the Galileo or Copernicus programs. Strong international competition calls for a coordinated European effort towards the development of QT in and for space, including research and development of technology in the areas of communication and sensing. Here, we aim at summarizing the state of the art in the development of quantum technologies which have an impact in the field of space applications. Our goal is to outline a complete framework for the design, development, implementation, and exploitation of quantum technology in space.
This chapter explores the transformative effect of quantum technologies in the European Union (EU), emphasising their impact on digital sovereignty and drawing conclusions from the securitisation process. Moreover, the chapter offers a historical overview of quantum-related policy in the EU, distinguishing three phases: inception (2016–2018), consolidation (2019–2022), and strategic awakening (2023-present). The analysis discusses how the EU’s engagement with quantum technologies has been shaped by internal political dynamics and strategic needs, leading to increased public investment and initiatives aimed at harnessing and securing these technologies.
Quantum technologies constitute a major area of interest with real issues leading to new disruptive applications. Their mastery will give their designers a definite advantage, whether in the fields of communications, health, security, energy, space, the environment, etc. The United States, China, Europe, India and many other countries are opening research programs and promote investments with a view to acquiring certain technological sovereignty. My previous paper briefly exposed quantum technologies. In this new paper, after a reminder of the strategic context, the application domains of quantum computing, with some examples in the defense and security sectors, are presented. Elements of analysis of existing investments and ecosystems are presented. The images or figures in the article are the property of their cited authors. References are given at the end of each chapter.