Denmark is gearing up for the global quantum race
After a two-year intense effort, Denmark has landed a new ambitious National Strategy for Quantum Technology. With a Danish Quantum House, demonstrators of the potentials of quantum technologies, and a significant effort to build international partnerships, the Danish government is seeking to future-proof Denmark’s commercialization of quantum technologies.
In the strategy, the Danish government allocates DKK 50 million every year from 2024-2027 to support the commercialization of quantum technology and increase security and international collaboration within the field of quantum technology.
In June 2023, the Government allocated a further DKK 200 million every year from 2023-2027 in National Strategy for Quantum Technology part 1 focusing on research and innovation.
“With the National Strategy for Quantum Technology, the Danish government sends a strong signal that Denmark will continue our long-term prioritization of quantum technology. Quantum technologies hold enormous economic potentials and will revolutionize our industries and society. Strategic investments will be crucial to ensure that we retain our position as a quantum leader. Therefore, we look very positively on the new national strategy”, says Jan W. Thomsen, chair of Danish Quantum Community and COO at Novo Nordisk Quantum Computing Programme (NQCP).
Read the strategy: National Strategy for Quantum Technology
Quantum House Denmark will create a new hub for the Danish quantum ecosystem
The Danish government allocates DKK 62.5 million in 2024-2027 to the establishment of Quantum House Denmark. With this initiative, the government intends to create a common meeting point for key quantum stakeholders in Denmark – from researchers and startups to established companies and investors – to accelerate the development of quantum technology.
“Bringing together quantum companies under one roof with access to test facilities, technical knowhow and knowledge sharing with other companies and investors will help mature quantum technologies and stimulate the establishment of new Danish quantum startups. This is exactly what we need to realize the business potentials of quantum technology”, says Jan W. Thomsen.
The global competition to attract the best talents and companies has already begun. With Quantum House Denmark, the government is putting Denmark on the map as an attractive place to establish a quantum company by creating a collaborative quantum ecosystem.
“Our businesses will need many more quantum specialists and quantum companies in the future. This is why we need to promote Denmark as quantum nation to retain our talent pool and attract foreign talents and companies to Denmark”, says Natasha Friis Saxberg, vicechair of Danish Quantum Community and CEO of the Danish ICT Industry Association (IT-Branchen).
Quantum research must be commercialized to create new quantum products and services
Building upon the legacy of Niels Bohr, Denmark is a world leader within quantum research. Now, the time has come to turn our research results into products to allow industries to utilize quantum technologies.
Thus, the government allocates DKK 18 million from 2024-2027 to pave the way for commercialization through use cases and demonstration projects.
We have already seen Danish companies such as Danske Bank and Energinet embrace the potentials of quantum technology through partnerships with startups and research institutions. Just last week, the Danish quantum startup Kvantify announced a new partnership with TDC NET to utilize the power of quantum computing algorithms to optimize Danish telecommunications. These quantum partnerships are key to build bridges between universities, startups and companies.
“In the future, quantum technologies will improve logistics in the transportation sector, optimize predictions and mathematical models, and strengthen our healthcare system using quantum chemistry and quantum physics. But quantum technology has to be transferred from the labs to the commercial end user. This is why we need new projects to demonstrate the opportunities created by quantum technology to industries. Otherwise, we will never realize the commercial potentials of quantum technology”, says Natasha Friis Saxberg.
Quantum companies must be prepared to handle quantum-related security risks
With new technologies come new security concerns. In the coming years, we must ensure that Denmark is prepared to handle these new concerns. We therefore find it very positive that the government is allocating DKK 50.5 million in 2024-207 through 3 initiatives to the Priority Action Security as a Foundation for Quantum Technology Development.
With these initiatives, Denmark will strengthen the knowledge transfer from authorities to startups and companies regarding quantum-related security threats, and the Danish intelligence service PET’s advisory efforts will be strengthened. Doing so will create a secure framework for companies to utilize quantum technologies.
“A close dialogue between companies and authorities is a key prerequisite to ensure that security threats, export controls, and investments screenings do not get in the way of the next quantum innovation”, says Jan W. Thomsen.
International partnerships will pave the way for future quantum innovations
Based on the last 100 years of quantum research following Niels Bohr’s scientific breakthroughs in the 1920s, Denmark is considered a global pioneer within quantum research. But as a nation, we cannot realize the full potentials of quantum technology on our own. We need a strategic effort to maintain a global outlook and international alliances for quantum technology.
As part of the Priority Action Promoting Danish quantum interests internationally, the Government allocates DKK 55 million in 2024-2027 to promote Denmark as a quantum leader in Europe and globally.
“No man is an island. That also holds true for all nations when it comes to quantum technology. We cannot develop the next generation of quantum technologies without strategic partnership and knowledge sharing across borders. And we cannot commercialize quantum technologies without international standards and global supply chains”, says Jan W. Thomsen.
Danish Quantum Community looks forward to monitoring Denmark’s National Strategy for Quantum Technology
With a strategic investment of DKK 200 million in 2024-2027, the Danish government outlines an ambitious vision for the commercialization of quantum technology in Denmark. Danish Quantum Community will closely monitor the implementation of National Strategy for Quantum Technology in the coming years.
We look forward to contributing to the government’s ambition to strengthen Denmark’s position as a quantum nation and to supporting the implementation of Quantum House Denmark and the development of use cases and demonstrator projects.
