Quantum computing Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

Indian science ministry outlines AI and quantum technology priorities

India’s Ministry of Science and Technology has outlined a strategy placing AI and quantum sovereignty at the centre of future growth, according to statements by Jitendra Singh. The announcement was made during a programme hosted by the Technology Development Board.

Minister Jitendra Singh said long-term progress in deep technology depends on a coordinated national approach. The minister linked the strategy to the Research, Development and Innovation Fund scheme, which aims to expand private-sector participation in research and innovation.

According to officials, five projects were approved under the scheme in areas including battery technology, satellite systems, healthcare, and unmanned aerial systems. Initial funding disbursement has begun, alongside the release of progress reports and outlining a national quantum safe ecosystem.

Officials said post-quantum cryptography and secure digital infrastructure are emerging priorities under the National Quantum Mission. The announcements were made during a programme hosted by the Technology Development Board in New Delhi, India.

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WEF report highlights supply chain risks in quantum-safe cybersecurity transition

A new World Economic Forum (WEF) analysis argues that coordination failures across global technology supply chains could slow the transition towards quantum-safe cybersecurity, despite growing pressure from governments, regulators, and major technology companies to accelerate adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

The article highlights how the migration towards quantum-safe security has shifted from long-term planning into active deployment after the National Institute of Standards and Technology finalised its first PQC standards in 2024. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has already set phased migration targets extending to 2035, while Google has set 2029 as the target timeline for parts of its own transition roadmap.

Furthermore, WEF argues that post-quantum migration cannot be treated as a routine software update because quantum-safe security depends on every layer of the digital ecosystem. Semiconductors, firmware, operating systems, applications, cloud services, telecoms infrastructure, and critical national infrastructure all need coordinated upgrades. Delays at one stage of the supply chain could affect every downstream deployment.

Critical infrastructure operators face particular pressure because many systems rely on long operational cycles, globally sourced equipment, and tightly regulated procurement frameworks. Energy networks, telecoms systems, transport infrastructure, and financial institutions are already making procurement decisions that may shape cybersecurity resilience for decades.

According to the report, deploying infrastructure without a clear PQC migration pathway could create substantial future remediation costs and operational risks.

The piece also links the post-quantum transition to broader cyber resilience concerns tied to AI. Frontier AI systems are increasingly being used to identify vulnerabilities at scale, accelerating both defensive security testing and potential offensive cyber capabilities.

The article references Anthropic and its Claude Mythos model, along with examples of Mozilla Firefox vulnerability discovery, as evidence that AI is rapidly changing software assurance and implementation testing.

Organisations treating PQC migration as a coordinated resilience programme instead of a narrow compliance exercise will be better positioned to protect critical services, economic stability, and trust in digital systems over the coming decade.

Why does it matter?

Quantum computing is steadily moving from theoretical risk to practical cybersecurity challenge, forcing governments and industries to rethink the foundations of digital security. The WEF analysis shows that the greatest obstacle may not be the cryptographic technology itself, but the coordination required across suppliers, infrastructure operators, regulators, cloud providers, and hardware manufacturers.

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China unveils Hanyuan-2 dual-core quantum computer breakthrough

China’s CAS Cold Atom Technology has unveiled Hanyuan-2, a 200-qubit neutral atom quantum computer that Chinese state media described as the world’s first dual-core neutral atomic quantum computer.

Developed in Wuhan by a company affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hanyuan-2 is presented as a shift from single-core to dual-core quantum architecture. The system uses neutral-atom array technology and combines 100 rubidium-85 and 100 rubidium-87 atoms to form a 200-qubit system.

The dual-core architecture allows the two processing units to operate independently in parallel or to work together in a main-and-support configuration. Developers say the approach could improve computational efficiency, support error correction and help address challenges linked to stability, qubit interference and scalability.

Unlike many quantum systems that require highly specialised operating environments, Hanyuan-2 is described as using a compact integrated design with a simplified laser-cooling setup and power consumption below 7 kilowatts. The design is intended to reduce operating complexity and make quantum computing systems easier to deploy.

The announcement highlights China’s continued investment in quantum computing hardware, particularly neutral atom systems. However, the system’s practical performance remains difficult to assess publicly because detailed benchmarks such as gate fidelity, coherence time and error rates have not yet been released in peer-reviewed or standardised form.

Why does it matter?

Hanyuan-2 points to growing experimentation with quantum computing architectures designed to improve scalability, stability and efficiency. Dual-core designs could support more flexible processing and error-correction approaches, but their real significance will depend on independently verifiable performance metrics. For now, the announcement is best understood as a signal of China’s ambition in quantum hardware rather than proof of practical superiority over other systems.

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Cybersecurity sector revenue reaches £14.7 billion in UK

The UK cybersecurity sector generated £14.7 billion in annual revenue and £9.1 billion in gross value added, according to the government’s Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2026.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and produced by Ipsos and Perspective Economics, identifies 2,603 firms active in the UK cybersecurity market. That marks a 20% increase from the previous report, which identified 2,165 firms.

Employment in the sector reached about 69,600 full-time equivalent roles, an increase of around 2,300 jobs, or 3%, over the past year. The report says this is the lowest recorded employment growth rate since the series began in 2018, suggesting a softening in workforce growth.

Revenue rose by around 11% from last year’s estimate of £13.2 billion, while gross value added increased by 17%. The report also estimates GVA per employee at £131,200, up from £116,200, suggesting higher productivity within the cybersecurity ecosystem.

The analysis also points to growth in AI security and software security. It estimates that 111 firms active and registered in the UK now clearly offer cybersecurity for AI systems as an explicit product or service, up 68% from the previous baseline. Of those, 32 are specialist providers focused mainly or exclusively on AI security, while 79 offer AI security as part of a broader portfolio.

Software security is also expanding across the market. The report estimates that 1,141 firms provide software security services, an increase of 181 firms, or 19%, from the previous baseline. Nearly half of all UK cybersecurity providers appear to be involved in software security provision, with application security, cloud and container security, secure development, supply chain security, and DevSecOps highlighted as key areas.

Investment remains more subdued. Dedicated cybersecurity firms raised £184 million across 47 deals in 2025, down 11% from £206 million across 59 deals in 2024. The report says investors highlighted AI security and post-quantum cryptography as key themes, while also noting procurement barriers and limited UK growth-stage capital as ongoing concerns.

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New research initiative targets biology with quantum computing and AI

Google has launched REPLIQA, a life sciences and quantum AI research programme backed by a $10 million commitment to five universities. The initiative aims to apply advanced quantum science and AI to biological research, with a long-term focus on improving understanding of human biology and health.

Google Quantum AI and Google.org lead the programme and will support research into complex molecular interactions, including biological processes such as protein folding and cellular responses to new drugs. Google says classical computers often struggle to simulate such interactions accurately, while quantum technologies operate according to the same physical principles that govern molecules.

The funding will support work at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, San Diego, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Arizona. Google says the programme is intended to build a shared scientific ecosystem around quantum science, AI and life sciences.

The initiative will focus on foundational tools such as quantum sensors and quantum-enhanced AI algorithms that could support future discoveries in biological science and drug development. Google describes REPLIQA as a long-term research effort rather than a programme expected to produce immediate results.

Why does it matter?

REPLIQA points to growing interest in combining quantum science, AI and life sciences to address biological problems that are difficult for classical computing to model. Its significance lies less in immediate health applications and more in the research infrastructure it aims to build: sensors, algorithms and academic partnerships that could eventually improve biological simulations and support future medical discovery.

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Canada invests in AI and quantum technology firms in British Columbia

Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), announced more than C$17.3 million in funding for eight British Columbia technology companies to accelerate the commercialisation and adoption of AI and quantum technologies.

Through PacifiCan, the federal government is supporting projects focused on robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and quantum supply chains as part of a broader strategy to strengthen domestic innovation and sovereign technology capabilities.

A major share of the investment will support Human in Motion Robotics, which received CAD$3 million to commercialise its AI-powered XoMotion wearable robotic exoskeleton. The company plans to integrate AI into mobility systems, expand manufacturing, and move the technology beyond clinical environments into homes and community settings for people with spinal cord injuries and neurological conditions.

Another funded company, Dream Photonics, will receive more than CAD$1.1 million to establish pilot manufacturing for optical interconnect technologies used in AI and quantum chips. The project aims to strengthen Canada’s domestic semiconductor and quantum ecosystem while creating skilled technology jobs in British Columbia.

The announcement also highlighted the rapid expansion of British Columbia’s AI ecosystem, which now includes nearly 600 AI companies. Canadian officials linked the investments to broader efforts to secure domestic compute infrastructure, strengthen AI supply chains, and position Canada competitively in emerging technologies ahead of events such as Web Summit Vancouver.

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China opens a new era of computing with fourth generation quantum machine

China has launched its fourth-generation superconducting quantum computer, marking a further step in the country’s push to scale advanced computing infrastructure. Developed by Origin Quantum, the system, named Origin Wukong-180, has begun accepting quantum computing tasks from users worldwide.

The machine is built around a 180-qubit superconducting chip and integrates fully self-developed core systems, including the chip architecture, measurement and control systems, environmental support, and operating software. According to the company, the platform represents full-stack domestic capability across the quantum computing chain.

Origin Wukong-180 builds on earlier generations of the system, following the third-generation version that has already processed tens of millions of remote accesses and hundreds of thousands of computing tasks across more than 160 countries.

The company also reports milestones such as China’s first export of quantum computing services and the establishment of the country’s first quantum chip production line.

Researchers and developers view systems like Origin Wukong-180 as part of a broader shift toward practical quantum computing applications in areas such as AI, cryptography, finance, biochemistry, and engineering design, where large-scale computational power could reshape existing technological limits.

Why does it matter?

The development signals a broader shift in global technological competition, where quantum computing is becoming a strategic layer of future digital infrastructure alongside AI and advanced semiconductor systems.

As countries race to build scalable quantum capabilities, control over this technology could influence breakthroughs in secure communications, complex simulations, and financial modelling, while also reshaping supply chains for high-performance computing.

Wider global access to such systems may accelerate scientific discovery, but it also raises questions about technological dependence, standards-setting, and long-term geopolitical balance in the digital economy.

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Brazil tests quantum-secure communication over Recife fibre network

Researchers in Brazil have developed the Recife Quantum Network, a quantum key distribution system that uses inactive optical fibre already installed in the city’s urban infrastructure to test secure communications outside a laboratory setting.

The project, led by Professor Daniel Felinto at the Federal University of Pernambuco, connects university departments through dark fibre and uses quantum key distribution to protect information exchange.

Quantum key distribution relies on quantum properties that make interception detectable: any attempt to observe or copy the security key disrupts the quantum state, alerts the system and prevents secure key exchange.

The work has grown into a broader institutional effort through the Institute of Quantum Technologies, known as Quanta, based at the university’s ParqueTec. Researchers from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco are also involved. The initiative received recognition through the 2025 Finep Innovation Award in the Northeast Region, in the research and development infrastructure category.

Initial tests over 7 kilometres have been completed, and the team now aims to expand the Recife quantum network to 40 kilometres with support from development institutions linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The project has also received support from the ministry through the National Education and Research Network and its Point of Presence in Pernambuco.

The initiative is presented as a step towards applying quantum key distribution-based secure communications to strategic cybersecurity needs, including defence and financial systems. Its use of existing telecommunications infrastructure is significant because it suggests that quantum-secure communication systems can be tested in urban environments without requiring entirely new fibre deployment.

Why does it matter?

Quantum key distribution is being explored as a way to protect sensitive communications against future threats, including advances in computing that could weaken current encryption methods. The Recife project is significant because it moves testing beyond laboratory conditions and into existing urban fibre infrastructure, which is a practical requirement for any wider deployment of quantum-secure networks.

For Brazil, the project also links cybersecurity with national research capacity, regional innovation and digital infrastructure development, showing how quantum technologies are beginning to move from academic experimentation towards applied communications security.

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OSCE chairpersonship opens Geneva conference on AI and quantum risks

The Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship has opened a high-level conference in Geneva on how emerging technologies are affecting security, international governance, and co-operation across the OSCE region.

The two-day event, titled ‘Anticipating technologies – for a safe and humane future’, brings together about 200 participants from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, alongside representatives from international organisations, academia, the private sector, and civil society.

The conference focuses on the security implications of rapid technological change, including AI and quantum technologies. The discussions are intended to examine how anticipation, dialogue, and cooperation can help reduce misunderstandings, build trust, and strengthen security in a fast-changing technological environment.

Opening the conference, OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis said: ‘Technology will not wait for us. Geopolitics will not slow down. If we want to remain relevant, we must anticipate – not react. This is the responsibility we share across the OSCE region. The OSCE still offers something rare: a space where adversaries can speak, where differences can be managed, and where common ground can still be built.’

The organisation’s Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, also stressed the need for dialogue as emerging technologies evolve faster than governance frameworks. He said: ‘Today, emerging technologies are evolving faster than the frameworks that govern them. This creates a widening gap between what technology can do and how we manage it. This gap must be addressed through dialogue – our most important stabilizing force in uncertain times – and this is where the OSCE has a vital role to play.’

The programme includes discussions on anticipating technological change and its geopolitical impact, water and energy security in the digital age, and the role of AI in early warning and conflict prevention. The conference also highlights Geneva’s role as a meeting point for science and diplomacy, including through institutions such as CERN, the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, and the Open Quantum Institute.

The event forms part of the Chairpersonship’s priority to connect scientific and technological anticipation with policy action. It is the second of four international conferences Switzerland is hosting under its chairpersonship, ahead of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Lugano in December.

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UNESCO report warns over global quantum research inequality

According to UNESCO, the unequal access to quantum research infrastructure risks widening global scientific and technological divides, with nearly one in three researchers worldwide still lacking access to quantum research facilities despite rapid growth in investment and interest in the field.

The findings come from The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, Outcomes of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, which analysed more than 1,300 quantum science events across 83 countries and included a global survey of 590 experts in 81 countries.

The report highlights major regional disparities, with Europe and North America hosting 7 times as many quantum-related events per country as Africa.

More than 150 countries still lack a national quantum strategy, even though global public and private investment in quantum science and technology reached $55.7 billion by mid-2025, according to UNESCO.

The organisation also points to a persistent gender gap, noting that while women account for a much larger share of early-career participants, they make up only around 16% of senior researchers and 12% of leadership roles in quantum fields.

UNESCO says quantum technologies could transform areas including healthcare, computing, cybersecurity, and climate modelling. To address infrastructure inequality, it has launched the Global Quantum Initiative and expanded programmes that give researchers from developing economies remote access to advanced quantum computing systems.

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