Interest in quantum technologies grows. Europe goes, Italy at the door

A potential that could revolutionise the way we process information, communicate and measure the world around us, with applications ranging from defence to health care. Much has been said and written about quantum computing in recent years, but experts and scholars agree on one point. The promise is well known and is to solve problems impossible for traditional computers and to give a substantial boost to innovation in areas such as medicine, chemistry, finance or defence. However, these technologies and applications are still in the development phase and present significant challenges both in terms of hardware and the stability and reliability of the systems. It is, in other words, a young market that has yet to find the point of true explosion, although analysts' projections (see McKinsey & Company's report 'Quantum Technology Monitor, 2025') put the global turnover of quantum technologies at $97 billion by 2035.

A new study released today by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which Sole24ore.com had the opportunity to preview, has shed light on the subject. The assumption of the research, which ranges from patents to supply chains and embraces all the components of the ecosystem, is explicit: the quantum technology landscape is experiencing a period of great dynamism thanks to the increase in the number of companies entering this sector and the rise in expenditure on dedicated projects, but it has reached the crossroads of structural growth in the sector itself, which is inextricably linked to the success of technology commercialisation. Very indicative, in order to frame the current scenario, is the comment of the EPO president, António Campinos, who cites the Draghi report as the source of his analysis. "The EU," he said, "has room to increase its investment in the quantum sector, especially when compared to leading countries like the United States. Private sector funding is now needed to commercialise basic research, and governments must consider this fast-growing sector a strategic priority for the development of innovation'. In this regard, the study notes how collaboration between public research organisations, start-ups and large corporations is becoming increasingly important to address complex challenges such as the growing concentration and dependence of global supply chains for critical components and the limited availability of highly specialised technical expertise, while at the same time fostering the integration of the cross-sector skills needed to support efforts to significantly accelerate the commercialisation of quantum technologies.

Among the various aspects that the study took into consideration were patents, and the figure that bodes well for the near future of this technology is unequivocal: the number of international patent applications (IPFs) in the quantum field, filed in the last decade alone in different countries to protect the same invention, has increased fivefold. Specifically, between 2005 and 2024, just under 9,740 IPFs were generated on a global scale, with the United States leading the ranking of the most virtuous countries in this field followed by Europe, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea. In the Old Continent, the top three countries in terms of number of quantum patents are Germany, the United Kingdom and France, and it is precisely the transalpine start-ups that are among the most active (with realities elected as case studies in the report drawn up by Epo and the OECD such as C12 and Pasqal. If we look at the three main categories of the quantum universe (computing, communication and sensing), it is the first two that are competing for first place in terms of the number of IPFs filed, with the information technology sector registering the strongest growth during the period under consideration (with an increase in applications of almost 60 times compared to 200) and becoming the most important sector in an ecosystem that as a whole now comprises more than 4,500 companies, with less than 1,000 of these (just under 20%) specialising in core quantum technologies. In this sense, the study highlights a big difference between Europe and the US, with the former characterised by the strong presence of leading specialised companies (mainly active in the UK, the Netherlands and France) and the US where the share of quantum core is lower and the presence of technological giants is drastically higher. Quantum core companies are generally start-ups and depend heavily on initial investment and public funding while non-specialised companies (80% of the total) account for most of the patents and jobs created. In the hit list of the most applicant companies for quantum patents between 2005-2024 we find (not surprisingly) well-known names on the tech scene such as IBM, LG, Toshiba, Intel and Microsoft, while European companies such as IQM Finland and Robert Bosch are among the top applicants in the fields of computing and sensors respectively. The top four universities by number of quantum IPFs all come from the US, with MIT and Harvard in the lead, while CNRS, the largest public research institution in France is the only European institution to appear among the top 20 applicants.

From 2005 to 2024, there are no EPO registrations of patent families relating to quantum technology produced in Italy. The Belpaese country is therefore playing this game from a position of catch-up, but the last twelve months have seen the launch (thanks to the support of European funds, starting with the Recovery and Resilience Facility) of an investment strategy worth around 230 million euros aimed at developing national laboratories, training a dedicated workforce, and stimulating private investment. The projects, the report says, will focus on key areas such as information technology, simulation, communication, sensing and basic science, with active participation in EU programmes and the underlying aim of increasing strategic autonomy. One excellence mentioned in the study is the Italian National Institute of Quantum Science and Technology (NQSTI), a consortium of 20 national research centres funded by the PNRR with around EUR 103 million, whose task is to cover the entire spectrum from basic research to prototype development, with a strong focus on academic spin-offs and industrial innovation.