Quantum 2026: Are we at the Tipping Point?
“On Verified Progress, the Cryptography Deadline Ahead, and Europe’s Race to Scale”
Quantum 2026: Are we at the Tipping Point?
You attended “AI meets Quantum Computing: really?” at EBDVF2025 and thought you were up to date?
Think again.
In just twelve months, quantum computing has moved noticeably closer to practical reality. Error correction has delivered verified results on running hardware, logical qubits have become the new benchmark of progress, and the number of physical qubits required to support reliable computation has fallen dramatically. What was recently considered a distant research challenge is increasingly becoming an engineering challenge.
And while the technology evolves, the clock is ticking elsewhere. The first European milestones for post-quantum cryptography migration arrive at the end of 2026, making quantum readiness a business and policy priority today.
Beyond the technological breakthroughs, the real story of the past year is the rapid maturation of the European quantum ecosystem. Quantum innovation increasingly depends on collaboration across communities, bringing together expertise in AI, data, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and advanced digital infrastructures. This is where BDVA provides unique value: creating a neutral forum where technology providers, researchers, policymakers, and industrial users can align around common challenges and opportunities. Together with initiatives such as EuroHPC, the Quantum Technologies Flagship, RIAG and QTAG, the community is helping transform quantum computing from a promising scientific field into an industrial capability. For organizations looking to understand where quantum is heading, joining the ecosystem may be as important as understanding the technology itself.
Join Paul McElligott (SAP), Irene Lopez de Vallejo Garcia (Tecnalia), and Laure Le Bars (SAP, BDVA VP) for a fast-paced update on what has changed, what matters now, and what every organization should be watching as quantum computing moves from promise to preparation.
