(IYQ partner)

Quantum technologies are entering a decisive moment. Once considered a far-off scientific ambition, they are now moving steadily into practical experimentation, hybrid computing frameworks, and early industrial use cases. The shift is global, multidisciplinary, and collaborative. And yet, in many organizations, quantum still feels like a future tense: promising, but not ready; exciting, but uncertain.

The International Quantum Business Conference, taking place in Santiago de Compostela on December 17 to 18, 2025, is designed precisely for this moment. It brings together industry leaders, researchers, technologists, policymakers, and investors to discuss what it means to move quantum from potential to capability, and from capability to impact.

Pioneering Quantum Innovation from Galicia

Fsas Technologies—a Fujitsu company’s International Quantum Center was created with a clear mission: to accelerate the adoption of quantum technologies by fostering collaboration between research, industry, and public institutions. In Galicia, this mission has taken shape through concrete achievements—from pioneering proof-of-concept pilots with regional industry to the launch of specialized university courses that help cultivate the next generation of quantum talent. This new generation will have the opportunity to join research and development initiatives with the Galician Supercomputing Center (CESGA), local clusters, and innovation agencies. Together with the Galician government and CESGA, these efforts have laid the foundations for a robust quantum ecosystem that is internationally visible and growing rapidly.

More Than a Meeting Point—A Blueprint for Progress

Launched in 2024 by Fujitsu, in collaboration with the Galician Supercomputing Center (CESGA) and GAIN (The Galician Government’s Innovation Agency), the conference established itself as a unique forum where the scientific and business dimensions of quantum met on equal footing. The first edition gathered more than 200 participants from business, academia, and government, with a strong presence of international speakers and media coverage.

Discussions last year ranged from European public initiatives and global investment trends to real-world applications of quantum for drug discovery, logistics, energy optimization, and finance. This year’s edition continues that spirit, while raising the stakes.

2025: Empowering the Future of Quantum and Supercomputing for AI

As hybrid cloud environments, advanced accelerators, and quantum resources begin to work together, the frontier is no longer quantum alone, but quantum + HPC + AI. This is the landscape the 2025 program explores.

Across two days, participants will engage in:

• Keynotes on European quantum strategy and national-scale ecosystem development
• Panels connecting R&D centers, investors, and emerging industry adopters
• Scientific sessions on quantum hardware, algorithms, and hybrid architectures
• Business track discussions on real deployment pathways, funding, and regulation
• A parallel poster session and a visit to the CESGA Quantum Computer (QMIO)

The conference also hosts the QUORUM alliance sessions, focused on Spain’s collaborative quantum innovation efforts across research centers and companies.

Why It Matters Now

Across regions and markets, the same questions echo:

• How do we build a quantum-ready workforce?
• Which applications will mature first?
• How should policymakers support competitiveness while ensuring ethical and strategic alignment?
• What partnerships enable scalable innovation rather than isolated pilot projects?

This event is shaped to address these questions practically, not hypothetically.

Speakers include leaders shaping quantum research, ecosystem design, industry deployment, and science policy. Topics such as fault tolerance, quantum-safe communications, dual-use innovation, hybrid quantum-HPC architectures, and sectoral case studies illustrate what scaling pathways may look like over the next five years.

The Place Matters Too

Santiago de Compostela has become an unexpected yet fitting landmark in Europe’s quantum map. With Fujitsu’s International Quantum Center, the Galician Supercomputing Center (CESGA), and a growing network of research institutions and technology companies, Galicia is positioning itself as a European node for quantum talent, experimentation, and industry collaboration.

The conference is part of that story of ecosystem-making.

Join the Conversation—and Help Shape the Next Chapter

Whether you work in:

• Industry transformation
• Academic research
• Technology development
• Policy, investment, or innovation management

The International Quantum Business Conference offers a space to learn, connect, challenge assumptions, and forge collaborations.

If the last decade was about imagining quantum, the next will be about building with it.

This is where that work begins—together.

More information and registration are available at this link.

(IYQ partners)

With quantum technologies shifting from theoretical potential to real-world deployment, we believe the urgency to secure our digital future has never been greater.

Our modern world runs on digital infrastructure, financial systems, healthcare networks, energy grids, and national security, all secured by cryptographic designs for classical computing. These systems have served us well for decades, but they are not equipped to withstand the disruptive power of quantum computing.

Quantum computing is redefining what’s possible in computation. Unlike classical machines, which process information in binary bits, quantum machines rely on qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This extraordinary capability enables them to solve certain problems exponentially faster than traditional counterparts, advancing areas such as drug discovery, climate modeling, and logistics optimization. Yet, the same power that makes quantum computing so promising also poses a direct threat to the cryptographic algorithms that safeguard digital communications and data.

The greatest near-term threat lies in public-key cryptography. Algorithms such as RSA and ECC, which rely on the difficulty of factoring large numbers and the discrete logarithm problem over elliptic curves, respectively, are particularly susceptible to quantum attacks. Using Shor’s algorithm, quantum computers will eventually be capable of breaking these encryption schemes in a fraction of the time required by classical machines.

This is not a distant threat. The concept of harvest now, decrypt later is already being employed, where malicious actors collect encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it once quantum capabilities become available. Sensitive information, from personal health records to classified communications, is being stockpiled, awaiting the moment when quantum decryption becomes possible. The implications are profound: breaches that occur years from now could expose data that was once assumed to remain secure for decades.

Transitioning to quantum-resilient systems is therefore not optional—it is essential. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) offers one of the most promising paths forward, featuring algorithms designed to resist quantum attacks while remaining compatible with existing infrastructure.

In the UAE, we are taking proactive steps to prepare for this new frontier. The UAE CyberSecurity Council and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII)have joined forces on CyberQ, an event dedicated to advancing research, standards, and readiness for quantum-safe cybersecurity. CyberQ is designed to help organizations across both the public and private sectors identify their quantum vulnerabilities, evaluate post-quantum cryptographic solutions, and accelerate the transition to secure communication systems that withstand future quantum threats. Through CyberQ, we are combining policy leadership and advanced scientific capability to strengthen the UAE’s role as a global contributor to quantum security. Together, CSC and TII are collaborating with international experts, industry partners, and standards bodies to safeguard our digital infrastructure and protect the critical assets that underpin our nation’s security in the quantum era.

However, adoption across industries remains uneven. Too often, quantum threats are seen as speculative when, in reality, the groundwork for future breaches is being laid today.

The challenge is not merely technical. It is strategic.

Cryptographic systems are deeply embedded in our digital fabric, and transitioning to new standards will require coordination across sectors and sustained and decisive leadership.

Policy frameworks must evolve in tandem with technological advancements. Governments must update regulatory frameworks to guide the adoption of PQC, incentivize migration, and support public-private partnerships that accelerate readiness.

International cooperation is also essential. Quantum threats do not respect borders, and fragmented responses will leave critical gaps in global security.

Just as crucial is fostering crypto-agility, the readiness to evolve cryptographic systems as threats emerge. Now is the time for organizations to evaluate their vulnerabilities, map their cryptographic assets, and prepare for a hybrid era where classical and quantum-safe algorithms work side by side.

The quantum future is not a distant horizon; it is approaching rapidly. The decisions we make today will determine whether our digital infrastructure remains resilient or becomes a casualty of technological progress.

Through initiatives like CyberQ, we are committed to leading this transformation, combining policy, research excellence, and international collaboration to secure the quantum future, starting now.

As leaders in cybersecurity and advanced research, we share a single goal: to ensure that the world approaches the quantum future with foresight, responsibility, and cooperation.

Protecting digital trust in the quantum age will demand global resolve and shared responsibility, as what we build together today will determine the security and integrity of the digital world for generations to come.

Hello! My name is Serena and I’m currently a master’s student in theoretical and computational chemistry as a part of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program in Europe. A few weekends ago, some classmates and I decided to venture out of our comfort zone and participate in IBM’s Qiskit Fall Fest 2025 Hackathon. The purpose was to use Qiskit, a quantum software development kit from IBM, to solve a problem using quantum computation instead of classical computers over the course of four days. 

Day 1 – Introduction & Talks

First task—meeting everybody. The first day, we gathered in the physics faculty at the University of Barcelona to introduce ourselves to each other and to the new quantum concepts we would be using. Artur Garcia gave the first talk from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; he discussed tensor networks for circuit simulation and a little bit about the difference between classical supercomputing and quantum computing. He was followed by Niccolo Baldelli, also from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, who gave a great presentation on simulating quantum circuits.

Day 2 – Set Up

The next day, we were on our own; we had to install the Qiskit package on our computers and complete an exercise to familiarize ourselves with the software. They sent the instructions over Discord, which included a link to IBM’s YouTube channel that walked you through the entire setup procedure and one practice problem. By the end of the night, I was ready and nervous; I was about to spend 48 hours doing something I had never done before. 

Day 3 – Hacking!

Joana Fraxanet from IBM came in the morning to kick us off with a presentation on quantum algorithms and their applications (shoutout quantum chemistry!). She gave us more information about the connection between high performance computing and quantum computing, and advised us on the quantum algorithms we would use. Then it was time for the challenges!

My group chose the intermediate challenge of the three options called “The Queen’s Problem”. Although none of us had ever used Qiskit before, we thought trying a challenge that interested us was the way to go: the best motivator is genuine curiosity! At about 11:00, we set out for a full day of coding (eight hours!), stopping only at 2:00 pm for a quick lunch break.  
The challenge we had selected was this: find the maximum number of queens you can place on a chessboard so that no two queens can attack each other. For the first part of the challenge, we had to use a classical algorithm, or a brute-force method, to find the answer to this question. We started with a blank chessboard, filled in the first eligible space with a piece, and then had the code find all the possible solutions from there. After it saved all the solutions from that starting point, it saved them, wiped the board, and started again. 

The next part of the challenge used a quantum algorithm to transform the problem into a physics one: we were going to use a “lowest energy state” to find a board with no pieces attacking each other. The lowest energy state in physics just means the point in the system with the lowest energy. If our system is a ball teetering at the top of a valley, the highest energy state is going to be the ball at the top, while the lowest energy state is going to be the ball at the bottom. If you give that teetering ball a push, where is it going to go? That’s our lowest energy state. 

The quantum algorithm would basically do the same thing with the arrangement of the board; if it placed pieces that could attack each other, that would be a high-energy state, and if they couldn’t, it would be a low-energy state. The goal was to have the algorithm place pieces to find, like our ball rolling down the hill, in the lowest possible energy state. 

The hardest part about this challenge for me was translating my logic into code. I could answer the question on paper, and on paper it seemed so simple, but then I had to execute it using Qiskit–something I had never done before. It was a lot of trial and error (and a lot of asking for help), but by the end of the day, we were getting the hang of it. 

Day 4 – Presentations & Results

The next day, I was back to hacking after coffee and breakfast. We took our seats and dove back into where we left off. The day before, we had completed the challenge for the rook and bishop pieces. Today was about putting it all together to solve the queen’s question. 

By lunch, we were almost finished, but had to shift our attention to designing our presentation. In terms of the competition, how we presented our solutions was almost as important as what those solutions were. 

Finally, at five, all eight teams were ready to present. We watched as groups presented their solutions for the various challenges, and presented as they listened to ours. Our group successfully completed the part of the challenge that used classical computers to solve the queens’ problem, but only got about two-thirds of the way through the quantum one. We wrote the quantum algorithm we needed to solve it, it just wasn’t giving us the right answers! Still, not bad for a group of chemists among physicists. 

In the end, the prize went to a very deserving team that worked on the hardest challenge, the Phase Recognition Challenge, which had to do with identifying the phase of a quantum state, or how a quantum state evolves over time. 

My biggest takeaway from the event was: ‘I should have done this sooner’. In college, I always prioritized the acquisition of knowledge over its use. Even though I’m technically learning programming as a part of my curriculum right now, I learned so much in just 48 hours by being forced to use and apply it. Doing it with my friends and working on a real problem I found interesting helped too. 

So, if you are interested in learning quantum mechanics, my advice is to get involved: go to an event or try out some online resources. Even better to do it with a friend. 

If you’re interested in learning more about quantum computing or checking out Qiskit for yourself, here are some of the resources we used over the weekend:

• IBM Quantum Computing – Qiskit 
• Quickstart | Getting Started with Qiskit 
• Coding with Qiksit | Youtube Tutorial

Serena Krejci-Papa is a first-year master’s student at the University of Barcelona, studying theoretical and computational chemistry with the Erasmus Mundus program. She writes about complex science topics in a way that makes people laugh. You can find more about her at Sciencewithserena.com.

Beyond Our Eyes: 3rd place photo, A microscopic detector toward quantum innovation, by Pasquale Ercolano

To celebrate the 100 years since the formulation of quantum mechanics, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) launched an international photo contest to capture the beauty of quantum research and technology developed worldwide, as well as the presence of quantum science and technology in our daily lives. 

The competition, part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025) global events, opened submissions on June 9 in two categories:  

Beyond Our Eyes

“Dedicated to images captured using scientific instruments or produced through simulations of quantum processes, bringing to life phenomena we can’t usually see.”

At a Glance

Welcomed photos “that revealed the aesthetic beauty of scientific instruments, visible quantum effects in nature, such as light patterns, or creative interpretations inspired by quantum concepts.”

Through these categories, IUPAP encouraged scientists, students, and enthusiasts to look beyond technical boundaries and explore the poetry within science. 

The IUPAP–IYQ2025 Photo Contest received submissions from around the world until August 31. After rigorous review, the jury selected winning photographs for their scientific relevance and artistic quality. The IUPAP announced the six winners (three for each category) on October 24. In this series of IYQ blog posts, we intend to feature each winning photograph and the artist who created it, one for each post. 

Beyond Crystals: A microscopic detector toward quantum innovation, photo by Pasquale Ercolano, 3rd place in the category Beyond Our Eyes

“As a physics PhD student, I focus on superconducting strip photon
detectors, with applications in quantum optics and quantum
communication,” Pasquale Ercolano states. “My image, taken through an optical microscope, shows a
photon-number-resolving detector that I personally fabricated. It
captures not only the intricate structure of a quantum device, but also
the journey of its creation, from raw materials to its integration
within a cryostat. The detector symbolizes the advancement of
photon-based quantum technologies, broadening the horizon of their
applications.”

For all the complexity in quantum, the real story begins with people 

(SC Quantum is an IYQ sponsor.)

At SC Quantum, our first conversations typically aren’t about physics or code. They’re about trust, connection, and building something that works for everyone.

From Possibility to Participation

Quantum holds enormous promise, and with that comes the responsibility to make sure its benefits can be shared widely. Progress depends not just on the science, but also on how we invite people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives into the space.

SCQ aims to design opportunities that are meaningful and collaborative, so that educators, engineers, creatives, and community leaders can see a role for themselves in shaping what’s next. Expanding participation strengthens our outcomes and helps ensure that quantum grows in ways that are both innovative and grounded.

Listening Comes First

When we engage an academic institution, a nonprofit, or an industry partner, we begin by listening. Often the best question we can ask is simple: What do you need?

That question helps shape our strategy and determine whether quantum has a useful role to play. It also makes clear that we’re not here to talk to people. We’re here to work with them.

Peopleware Matters

There’s hardware and software, but there’s also peopleware. Human infrastructure makes new technology usable and meaningful. It’s easy to overlook, but without it even the most powerful tools can fall short of their full potential.

Peopleware is about relationships, trust, and the spaces where learning and collaboration happen. Quantum is as much about culture, communication, and connection as it is about qubits.

For Leaders Ready to Invest in People 

If you’re leading a business, school, or workforce program and looking to engage with quantum, here are three places to start:

1. Identify a People-Centered Priority: Think about a challenge related to talent, training, or engagement. That could be helping students explore emerging careers, supporting employee development, or deepening STEM learning.
2. Build New Connections: Partner with SC Quantum to link with educators, researchers, or employers who share your goals. Good collaborations often start with shared questions.
3. Make Space for Exploration: Quantum isn’t just for experts. Creating space for curiosity in classrooms, boardrooms, and community spaces opens the door for new voices and fresh ideas.

Looking Ahead

Quantum is still taking shape. That means the values we embed today will influence how it grows tomorrow. Putting people first helps us stay focused on relevance, usefulness, and long-term impact.

My hope is that as South Carolina builds its place in the quantum landscape, we keep a sense of responsibility and openness: Not just what we can build, but who we are building it for.

Want to learn more or connect with the team? Contact SC Quantum.

Beyond Our Eyes: 2nd place photo, Beyond Crystals: The Icosahedral Symmetry of an Al64Cu23Fe13 Quasicrystal, by Magherlly Denisse Daviran Carrasco

To celebrate the 100 years since the formulation of quantum mechanics, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) launched an international photo contest to capture the beauty of quantum research and technology developed worldwide, as well as the presence of quantum science and technology in our daily lives. 

The competition, part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025) global events, opened submissions on June 9 in two categories:  

Beyond Our Eyes

“Dedicated to images captured using scientific instruments or produced through simulations of quantum processes, bringing to life phenomena we can’t usually see.”

At a Glance

Welcomed photos “that revealed the aesthetic beauty of scientific instruments, visible quantum effects in nature, such as light patterns, or creative interpretations inspired by quantum concepts.”

Through these categories, IUPAP encouraged scientists, students, and enthusiasts to look beyond technical boundaries and explore the poetry within science. 

The IUPAP–IYQ2025 Photo Contest received submissions from around the world until August 31. After rigorous review, the jury selected winning photographs for their scientific relevance and artistic quality. The IUPAP announced the six winners (three for each category) on October 24. In this series of IYQ blog posts, we intend to feature each winning photograph and the artist who created it, one for each post. 

Beyond Crystals: The Icosahedral Symmetry of an Al64Cu23Fe13 Quasicrystal, photo by Magherlly Denisse Daviran Carrasco, 2nd place in the category Beyond Our Eyes

Magherlly Denisse Daviran Carrasco is a rising diploma student in the Condensed Matter Physics section at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), with research experience in thin-film growth techniques and transport phenomena in two-dimensional materials.

Morty created her winning photo using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image. She captured it during her undergraduate research on quasicrystalline systems at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) in Peru.

“What fascinated me most about these non-conventional materials is that, although they lack translational symmetry, they still reveal a remarkable order, ” she emphasizes. “As I continue to grow as a research scientist in condensed matter physics, I feel genuinely enthusiastic about the future of quantum technology and the possibilities we can unlock by exploring more complex and exotic materials such as quasicrystals and their impact on quantum transport phenomena.”

Beyond Our Eyes: 1st place photo, Quantum Bridge: Where Electrons Dance, by Alexandra Roy and Guillaume Beaudin

To celebrate the 100 years since the formulation of quantum mechanics, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) launched an international photo contest to capture the beauty of quantum research and technology developed worldwide, as well as the presence of quantum science and technology in our daily lives. 

The competition, part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025) global events, opened submissions on June 9 in two categories:  

Beyond Our Eyes

“Dedicated to images captured using scientific instruments or produced through simulations of quantum processes, bringing to life phenomena we can’t usually see.”

At a Glance

Welcomed photos “that revealed the aesthetic beauty of scientific instruments, visible quantum effects in nature, such as light patterns, or creative interpretations inspired by quantum concepts.”

Through these categories, IUPAP encouraged scientists, students, and enthusiasts to look beyond technical boundaries and explore the poetry within science. 

The IUPAP–IYQ2025 Photo Contest received submissions from around the world until August 31. After rigorous review, the jury selected winning photographs for their scientific relevance and artistic quality. The IUPAP announced the six winners (three for each category) on October 24. In this series of IYQ blog posts, we intend to feature each winning photograph and the artist who created it, one for each post. 

Quantum Bridge: Where Electrons Dance, photo by Alexandra Roy and Guillaume Beaudin, 1st place in the category Beyond Our Eyes

Guillaume Beaudin has been working in the micro-nanofabrication field since 2006, mostly for photonic applications. He is now working as a research professional at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) at the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada, and he is a member of the Institut Quantique (IQ) and the CNSR’s Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2). He is the co-founder of Club Art Nano, where nanotechnologies intersect with art.

Alexandra Roy is the manager of the Quantum FabLab at the Institut Quantique of the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada. She discovered scanning electron microscope photography thanks to Guillaume, when looking for an opportunity to highlight quantum technologies studied in the FabLab and invisible to the naked eye. 

Cover Picture: taken by François Thibeault at Institut Quantique, Université de Sherbrooke

At a Glance: 1st place photo, Trapped Ions, by Morty Fangiglio

To celebrate the 100 years since the formulation of quantum mechanics, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) launched an international photo contest to capture the beauty of quantum research and technology developed worldwide, as well as the presence of quantum science and technology in our daily lives. 

The competition, part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025) global events, opened submissions on June 9 in two categories:  

Beyond Our Eyes

“Dedicated to images captured using scientific instruments or produced through simulations of quantum processes, bringing to life phenomena we can’t usually see.”

At a Glance

Welcomed photos “that revealed the aesthetic beauty of scientific instruments, visible quantum effects in nature, such as light patterns, or creative interpretations inspired by quantum concepts.”

Through these categories, IUPAP encouraged scientists, students, and enthusiasts to look beyond technical boundaries and explore the poetry within science. 

The IUPAP–IYQ2025 Photo Contest received submissions from around the world until August 31. After rigorous review, the jury selected winning photographs for their scientific relevance and artistic quality. The IUPAP announced the six winners (three for each category) on October 24. In this series of IYQ blog posts, we intend to feature each winning photograph and the artist who created it, one for each post. 

Trapped Ions, photo by Morty Fangilio, 3rd place in the category at a Glance

Morty Fangilio is a visual artist and designer exploring how quantum physics and image-making can help us rethink time, matter, and perception. After nearly a decade working in editorial design in New York for The Wall Street Journal and Men’s Health magazine, amongst many others, I’m now based in Basel, Switzerland, where I recently completed a Master of Design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel FHNW, where my research focused on the aesthetics of particle and quantum physics.

The submitted image is a digital scan of an original photogram made in the HGK darkroom in June 2024. I stacked several sheets of clear acrylic about 9 cm apart on the enlarger baseboard and arranged spherical objects and scattered micro-elements such as beads, decorative acrylic balls, and metals between the layers, then exposed them on resin-coated UV light-sensitive pearl paper. The setup imagines atoms in superposition, “caught” in a single instant inside a trapped-ion quantum computer—a brief, luminous collapse of possibilities into one held moment.

At a Glance: 2nd place photo, Experimental site of the optical ground station of the first quantum satellite link in the Southern Hemisphere at Stellenbosch University, by Yaseera Ismail

To celebrate the 100 years since the formulation of quantum mechanics, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) launched an international photo contest to capture the beauty of quantum research and technology developed worldwide, as well as the presence of quantum science and technology in our daily lives. 

The competition, part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025) global events, opened submissions on June 9 in two categories:  

Beyond Our Eyes

“Dedicated to images captured using scientific instruments or produced through simulations of quantum processes, bringing to life phenomena we can’t usually see.”

At a Glance

Welcomed photos “that revealed the aesthetic beauty of scientific instruments, visible quantum effects in nature, such as light patterns, or creative interpretations inspired by quantum concepts.”

Through these categories, IUPAP encouraged scientists, students, and enthusiasts to look beyond technical boundaries and explore the poetry within science. 

The IUPAP–IYQ2025 Photo Contest received submissions from around the world until August 31. After rigorous review, the jury selected winning photographs for their scientific relevance and artistic quality. The IUPAP announced the six winners (three for each category) on October 24. In this series of IYQ blog posts, we intend to feature each winning photograph and the artist who created it, one for each post. 

Experimental site of the optical ground station of the first quantum satellite link in the Southern Hemisphere at Stellenbosch University, photo by Yaseera Ismail, second place in the category At a Glance