In an era when technological leadership has become geopolitical leadership, the countries that define the quantum era will determine the economic and security architecture of the coming decades: who anchors the supply chains, who holds the industrial and defence advantages, and who captures the economic and operational benefits of moving first.
This is a competition, and it is already underway. Adversarial countries are investing strategically, patiently and at scale. Democratic allies have the talent, the research base and the industrial capacity to lead – but only if they act with the coordination that the moment demands.
The Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Technologies set out in 2025 was a vital foundation. At the G7’s Évian Summit, recognition must become resolve.
The acceleration is asymmetric
Quantum technologies – across computing, sensing, communications and security – are advancing faster than most policy timelines anticipated. State-directed investment by adversarial countries is not being matched by democratic economies operating without coordination. Quantum is not simply another technology sector: it is the enabling layer for the next era of economic output, defence capability and scientific progress.
Early movers will anchor critical supply chains, capture emerging markets and define the ecosystem within which all others must operate. Latecomers will be consumers of technology built on others’ terms.
The research and development phase is maturing, and the industrialisation phase has begun.
The quantum readiness imperative
Readiness has three urgent, non-negotiable dimensions. Each presents near-term decisions with long-term consequences.
Post-quantum cybersecurity is the most immediate priority. Adversaries are already harvesting sensitive data – government communications, defence intelligence, financial records – with the expectation of decrypting it as quantum computers mature. Current cryptographic systems also face new forms of compromise as artificial intelligence accelerates vulnerability discovery and exploitation. The threats are converging now. Migrating to standardised post-quantum cryptographic solutions – and building crypto-agility into critical systems so they can adapt as the threat landscape evolves – is not simply a defensive measure. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish the cyber resilience that modern economies and defence establishments require. Many G7 members already have roadmaps for post-quantum cryptography migration. Leaders must now drive that transition at pace, holding institutions accountable and signalling unambiguously across their economies that this cannot wait.
The second is quantum sensing, particularly positioning, navigation and timing – or PNT. From transportation systems to power grid synchronisation, financial market infrastructure and defence operations, PNT underpins the foundational systems that G7 economies depend on daily. As GPS faces growing reliability and resilience challenges, quantum-enabled PNT offers an independent, robust alternative. G7 members cannot afford to treat this as a future priority.
The third is fault-tolerant quantum computing. Its arrival will be a disruption comparable to the internet or mobile, not a linear improvement, but a step change that reshapes entire industries and creates new ones. The countries that lead its commercialisation will capture advantages that compound: attracting capital, talent and the next wave of innovation. Acting now – on workforce, infrastructure and partnerships – will determine whether G7 economies lead or follow.
Coordination as strategy
Quantum technologies are not monolithic, and neither are their supply chains. Computing, sensing, communications and security each draw on distinct, specialised ecosystems distributed across G7 members and trusted partners. No single country is self-sufficient. This creates both dependency and opportunity.
What is often underappreciated is how mobilised the quantum industry already is, arguably more so than any previous emerging technology sector at a comparable stage of maturity. Across the G7, business-led consortia are collaborating internationally to identify gaps, align capabilities and build a collective picture of how the sector can develop with a practical clarity that formal intergovernmental mechanisms rarely match. This is how the quantum sector naturally operates: across borders, among trusted partners.
Governments have a clear role in reinforcing this trajectory. Enabling talent mobility, aligning export control frameworks and expanding market access among trusted partners would materially accelerate the pace of progress. Equally important is what markets alone cannot provide: stability and predictability. Durable policy commitments on investment, security requirements and the terms of trusted partnerships are the foundation on which companies make long-term bets, build facilities and hire. The quantum industry is ready. The question for G7 leaders at Évian is whether governments will meet that readiness with the commitment it deserves.
The quantum moment
The quantum era will produce the next generation of economic leaders, defence advantages and first-mover industrial positions that compound over time. G7 members collectively hold the research depth, the early industrial base and the allied partnerships to define it – and to ensure its benefits are broadly shared.
That outcome is not guaranteed. History will record whether this generation of leaders recognised the quantum moment and acted accordingly. Kananaskis set the vision. Évian must set it in motion.
