Thank you for having me.
Today, we meet at a pivotal moment for quantum technology as well as for Europe as a whole. The world is shifting from globalisation to fragmentation.
For decades, open and interdependent systems have shaped our prosperity. And for many of us they have shaped out worldview too.
I thought – and I believe I am not alone in this – that the world was moving towards more openness. More freedom. More democracy.
But the past few years have changed that outlook somewhat. We are firmly in an era of strategic competition. Democratic values are under pressure. And influence is no longer measured only in trade or diplomacy, but in control over the technologies that define the future.
From artificial intelligence to semiconductors and quantum technologies control means sovereignty, resilience and the ability to act with autonomy.
For Europe, this brings both a challenge and a responsibility.
To remain an open and trusted partner in the world. Standing firm on our beliefs and our values. While also protecting our own strategic interests.
Europe has faced turning points like this before. In times of uncertainty, we have always turned to knowledge, cooperation and innovation as our strongest tools.
From rebuilding after war to navigating the digital revolution, our scientific communities have been the foundation of Europe’s resilience.
Today, the quantum transition calls for that same spirit. To use research not only to compete, but to connect. Not only to strengthen Europe, but to serve humanity as a whole.
Quantum technologies are no longer a distant promise of the future. They are becoming a new form of critical infrastructure. Shaping our defence capabilities, our cybersecurity and our economic systems.
Around the world, competition is accelerating. The United States, China, and Europe are all investing heavily to unlock the power of quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communication.
But Europe’s strength – our comparative advantage – lies not in the scale of investment alone.
It lies in our research and innovation ecosystem.
European quantum is collaborative, value-driven and grounded in world-class research combined with ethical and responsible governance.
That is what makes Europe different. That is what makes Europe a trusted partner around the world.
At the same time, we must make sure that our breakthroughs reach beyond the laboratory.
Translating quantum research into industrial applications – in health, energy, climate and security – will be vital for Europe’s competitiveness.
Start-ups, established companies and public institutions all have a role to play in turning quantum potential into real-world impact.
By bridging research and innovation, we ensure that quantum technologies not only advance science but also strengthen our societies and economies.
But with this progress comes a crucial question:
How do we safeguard academic freedom while recognising the strategic nature of quantum research?
This is not a theoretical debate. It is a practical challenge that universities and researchers face every day.
They are advancing knowledge at the frontiers of science. But they are also protecting that knowledge, ensuring it is used for peaceful and responsible purposes.
Europe must find the right balance.
We must continue to defend open scientific inquiry. Because curiosity-driven research is the foundation of every major breakthrough.
At the same time, we must create secure frameworks for international collaboration. Frameworks that allow us to work with trusted partners, to share data safely and to protect sensitive technologies.
Our universities, our labs, our scientists — they are Europe’s front line in this new landscape of technological competition.
And sustained investment in fundamental science remains Europe’s best long-term defence against technological dependence.
This is why national initiatives like the new Danish Quantum Foundation as well as European partnerships in high-performance computing, and the multiannual framework programmes like Horizon Europe are so essential.
They show that Europe can act. Independently as nations strategically investing in critical technologies. And together purposefully and with ambition to secure Europe’s role in the future.
And as we act, we must never lose sight of what binds us together: Trust. Trust between nations, between scientists and policymakers, and between public and private actors. This trust is Europe’s true strategic asset.
It allows us to collaborate openly, even in a world that is closing in on itself. Protecting and nurturing that trust will determine how strong our quantum future can be.
More than a century ago, the Danish physicist, Niels Bohr, taught us that progress in science comes not from certainty, but from paradox and dialogue.
Today, that same spirit lives on in the European quantum community gathered here. You combine curiosity with responsibility, openness with security, and competition with collaboration.
That is how Europe will remain competitive. That is how we will build strategic autonomy.
And that is how we will ensure that critical technologies like quantum will serve humanity, democracy, and peace.
Thank you.