Quantum science and technology is advancing and evolving rapidly and, in the last decade, has shifted from foundational scientific exploration to adoption by commercial and government organizations. It is essential that scrutiny and guidance is applied to this quantum revolution to bring other societal stakeholders onboard and ensure that the benefits can be maximized for all society.

What considerations exist for quantum technologies? How should we engage as a society in the future, as promised and created by this emerging sector? We will discuss some key questions that will shape the forthcoming quantum technology revolution.

Rob Thew is a senior researcher and group leader in the Quantum Technologies group at the University of Geneva. His research covers fundamental to applied topics in quantum communication and sensing. He is executive director of the Geneva Quantum Centre, chair of the Strategic Research Agenda Work Group for the European Quantum Flagship and founding editor-in-chief for the IOP journal, Quantum Science and Technology.

Ana Belén Sainz is a group leader in the Foundational Underpinnings of Quantum Technologies group at the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies, University of Gdańsk, Poland. Her research on foundations of quantum theory focuses on understanding the nonclassical phenomena featured in Nature, and how to harness their power to enable new forms of information processing.

Zeki C Seskir is a doctoral researcher at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) and co-ordinator of the project QuTec: Quantum Technology Innovations for Society. He conducts landscaping studies on quantum technologies to be utilized in technology assessment capabilities. His interests cover the emerging innovation and governance ecosystems of QT, together with their ethical, legal, societal and economic impacts, and potential futures.

Alex Holleitner is professor of physics at the Technical University of Munich working on the fundamental aspects of optics and electronics of quantum matter. Alex helped to establish a master programme on “quantum science and technology” within the Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology and has initiated further programmes on quantum education e.g., to train experts from industry, and internships of MSc students at local quantum technology companies.

Mehul Malik is a professor of physics at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, where he leads the Beyond Binary Quantum Information Laboratory. His research interests include quantum information processing and communication, fundamental studies of entanglement, and complex scattering media. He currently leads a QuantERA consortium studying quantum phenomena with complex media. Mehul is passionate about science communication and issues of gender diversity and researcher mobility in academia.

Vivek Krishnamurthy is the Samuelson-Glushko professor of law at the University of Ottawa and director of the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic. His work focuses on the regulatory and human-rights-related challenges that arise in cyberspace, advising on the impacts of new technologies. Vivek is a faculty associate of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, senior associate of the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and member of the Global Network Initiative’s Board of Directors.

Tara Roberson is a science communicator whose work focuses on responsible development and deployment of emerging technologies. As a postdoctoral researcher at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, she works with quantum physicists to understand the implications of emerging technologies. Tara also works in industry on activities that address ethics, law and assurance for robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.

Speaker relationship with IOP Publishing

Rob Thew is the editor-in-chief for the IOP Publishing journal Quantum Science and Technology, 2021 Impact Factor 6.568, 2021 CiteScore 11.5.