Governments worldwide are investing in quantum science and technology in pursuit of their anticipated economic and societal benefits and to achieve key strategic objectives, from technological leadership to national security. Quantum technologies, including sensing, computing and communication, aim to offer capabilities beyond the reach of existing digital technologies. They have the potential to contribute breakthroughs for problems that are currently intractable across several sectors, for example by enabling earlier and more accurate medical diagnoses and accelerating drug discovery, designing new materials and cleaner chemical processes, optimising energy grids and logistics planning, and supporting the development of energy technologies. Over time, they might also help to achieve progress on complex societal challenges, such as food security and access to clean water.
At the same time, quantum technologies vary in their degree of maturity, with most not yet widely commercialised and long and uncertain technological timelines often presenting significant risks for private investors. Quantum technologies also pose significant digital security and privacy risks, in addition to concerns about potential dual‑use applications. In this context, governments are introducing ambitious national strategies and policies to shape their domestic quantum ecosystems and monitor developments in this rapidly evolving field. This paper describes the emerging policy landscape supporting the development and uptake of quantum technologies.
Many countries have allocated substantial public funds to support quantum science and technology. As of October 2025, an estimated USD 55.7 billion has been committed to quantum science and technology by governments worldwide since 2013 (Qureca, 2025[1]). By November 2025, 18 OECD Member countries, plus the European Union, have adopted formal strategies. These strategies address technological development priorities, management of risk, stakeholder involvement and desired outcomes.
In countries where significant public funding for quantum science and technology predates the adoption of formal strategies, the introduction of a strategy has helped coordinate existing funding activities. Mission‑oriented innovation policies, which organise multiple initiatives and programmes around one or more high‑level objectives, have also been used to support such coordination. Public consultations, and a range of foresight exercises, have informed strategy design, but scope exists in many countries to broaden stakeholder participation. Most national plans highlight international partnerships as key to success and in some cases formal quantum co-operation agreements exist. Most strategies also underscore the importance of engaging in global standards‑setting efforts, such as those for post‑quantum cryptography.
Governance structures for quantum strategies vary significantly. In some cases, national strategies are embedded within broader science and technology agendas, while in others they stand alone, supported by dedicated legislation or specialised councils. France, Japan and the United States have placed quantum strategy governance at the highest level of the executive branch. To guide policy and monitor progress, countries often set measurable goals, and these also vary widely, from specific measures for technological performance benchmarks (e.g. numbers of qubits) to targeted shares of global markets.
To implement quantum strategies and achieve strategic goals, countries are introducing various types of policy initiatives focusing on quantum technologies. Five key instruments form the backbone of these efforts: (i) institutional funding for public research; (ii) project grants for public research; (iii) grants for business research and development (R&D); (iv) public procurement; and (v) equity financing. These instruments serve distinct purposes in shaping and supporting quantum technology ecosystems:
Governments allocate institutional funding and award grants to universities and research centres, often in partnership with businesses, hosting dedicated basic and applied research programmes in quantum technologies. Institutional funding is also used to build and maintain research and technology infrastructures, such as testbeds and quantum computing clouds, to facilitate rapid prototyping and application testing. Public research organisations often support skills and talent development, as part of tertiary education programmes and through workforce upskilling initiatives.
In addition to public research funding, financial support for the private sector incentivises firms’ investment in the commercialisation of quantum technologies. More specifically, governments issue competitive grant calls to support industry‑led R&D and innovation activities and use public procurement to help stimulate demand for pre‑commercial technology applications.
Equity financing further supports early‑stage quantum start‑ups by lowering investment risk and attracting complementary private capital. Financial support for private sector actors tends to target domestic firms. In some cases, however, international companies with advanced technological capabilities may also receive funding, which is typically tied to collaboration with local stakeholders.
Many policies encourage cross‑disciplinary collaboration, spanning science, industry and international partnerships, to leverage complementary knowledge and expertise across scientific fields, business sectors and regions. However, the intensity of international collaboration may be slowing, with rates of cross‑country co‑authorship falling from approximately 33% to below 30% between 2019 and 2022. Collectively, policies have the overarching goal of strengthening national public research and industry actors by supporting basic science and helping translate quantum research discoveries into commercial applications.