Global Quantum Strategies Overview 2026

Pre-Event Quantum World Congress 2026

The Embassy of Austria in Washington, D.C., and the Science Diplomacy Grid are delighted to host the 4th Global Quantum Strategies Overview event, taking place on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 4:30 to 8:30 PM at the Embassy of Austria.

As pre-event to the Quantum World Congress 2026, the 4th Global Quantum Strategies Overview will convene leading voices from academia, government, diplomacy, and industry to discuss the latest developments in Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) and to foster new international collaborations.

The Quantum World Congress (QWC), which will take place from September 23 to 25, has established itself as the leading international platform for quantum technology in the greater Washington, D.C. area since its inception in 2022. Since 2023, an official pre-event (Global Quantum Strategies Overview) has been held in advance of the congress, connecting experts from diplomacy, academia, and industry to discuss developments in the quantum sector. In 2023 and 2024, the pre-event was held at the Johns Hopkins University, and in 2025 at the Embassy of Finland. This year’s pre-event will once again feature high-ranking representatives of the Quantum World Congress, as well as distinguished participants and speakers from academia, government/diplomacy, and industry.

REGISTRATION

PROGRAM

4:30 PM | Doors Open and Registration

5:00 PM | Welcome Remarks by H.E. Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of Austria to the United States

5:05 PM | Video Message from Austria’s Federal Minister of Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure, Peter Hanke

5:10 PM | Keynotes and Presentation of Austria’s Quantum Strategy by Francesca Ferlaino & Markus Aspelmeyer

5:30 PM | Introductory Remarks ahead of Quantum World Congress by George Thomas

5:40 PM | Remarks by Co-Organizers & Introduction of Speakers by Ona Ambrozaite & Verena Daughton

5:45 PM | Flash Talks by Leaders from the Private Sector, Academia, and Government about

• Advancements and challenges in quantum technologies (computing, sensing, networking, simulation, measurement, imaging, and beyond)

• New developments in national or regional quantum strategies

• Emerging trends in international collaboration and transnational partnerships in QIST

7:00 PM | Networking Reception

8:30 PM | End of Event

SPEAKERS

Petra Schneebauer | Austria (Website)
Ambassador of Austria to the United States, Embassy of Austria

Markus Aspelmeyer | Keynote Speaker (Website)
Professor, University of Vienna | Scientific & Executive Director, Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI Vienna) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW) | Board of Directors, Cluster of Excellence Quantum Science Austria (quantA)

Francesca Ferlaino | Keynote Speaker (Website)
Professor, University of Innsbruck | Managing & Research Director, Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI Innsbruck) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW) | Board of Directors, Cluster of Excellence Quantum Science Austria (quantA)

George Thomas | Quantum World Congress (Website)
Co-Founder & Trustee, Connected DMV | Chair, Quantum World Congress | President & CEO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA)

Ona Ambrozaite | WQI (Website)
Director, Wisconsin Quantum Institute (WQI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison | Co-Executive Director, Science Diplomacy Grid

Celia Merzbacher | QED-C (Website)
Executive Director, Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) | SRI International

Guillaume Ferlet | European Union (Website)
Digital Policy Advisor, Delegation of the European Union to the United States

Fikriye Selen-Okatan | Finland (Website)
Senior Advisor – Digital Technologies, Quantum, Defense and AI, Consulate General of Finland – New York | Co-Executive Director, Science Diplomacy Grid

Tom Scott | United Kingdom (Website)
Deputy Head, UK Office for Quantum – Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Hannes Hübel | AIT (Website)
Head of Competence Unit Optical Quantum Technologies – Center for Digital Safety & Security, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

Felix Tiefenbacher | Zerothird & QTLabs (Website)
Founder & CEO, Zerothird

Stefan Schmid | ParityQC (Website)
Co-Head of Technology Partnerships, ParityQC

Kate Weber | Google (Website)
Director of Governance and External Affairs, Google Quantum AI

Jeffrey Brown | IBM (Website)
Global Quantum Policy Lead, IBM Government & Regulatory Affairs

Emily Violi Benjamin | Microsoft (Website)
Senior Program Manager – Quantum Legal and Policy, Microsoft

Drew F. Ezrine | Nokia (Website)
Senior Director Security and Defense – Government Affairs Americas, Nokia

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