Scaling up quantum innovation
Information
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The EPO and OECD will host a hybrid event on quantum innovation to launch their landmark study examining the evolution of quantum technologies.
Event details
On-site + Online
2 Rue André Pascal, 75016 Paris, France
Programm
Quantum is no longer science fiction, it’s the foundation of the next technological revolution. From communication and computing to sensing, quantum breakthroughs promise to reshape industries, redefine security, and power the next wave of digital transformation. As highlighted in recent policy reports, quantum technologies have the potential to boost industrial competitiveness and strengthen technological sovereignty across regions, opening the door for countries worldwide to lead in tomorrow’s digital world.
But unlocking this potential will not be easy. Around the world, leading universities and startups are driving quantum innovation forward, yet scaling up remains a hurdle. Access to late-stage financing varies widely across regions, with the United States benefiting from deep capital markets and big tech corporations already well positioned to bring quantum to market without facing the same growth barriers. For other regions such as Europe and Canada, the path to success lies in empowering their startups to scale, innovate, and compete globally.
Against this backdrop, the event will explore the evolution of quantum technologies towards scaling up, unveiling a joint EPO-OECD landmark study that charts both technological progress and broader ecosystem trends, including on firms, investments, skills, trade and policies. It will also bring together policymakers, researchers, investors, and entrepreneurs to discuss how different regions can bridge the gap between lab and market, secure the right funding, and turn its scientific strengths into commercial impact. Participants can expect lively debate, fresh insights, and a roadmap for how global innovation ecosystems can seize the quantum opportunity.
Join us for a timely and insightful conclusion to the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology!
Register now for an event jointly organised by the EPO and the OECD, taking place in Paris on 17 December. Participation on site will be limited but online attendance is open to everyone. You can indicate your preferred mode of participation directly in the registration form.
- Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Event Moderators: Elisabeth Schoeffmann, Head of Media and Social Media, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Axel Ferrazzini, Managing Director, 4iP Council14.00 - 14.15 hrs Welcome remarks
António Campinos, President, European Patent Office
Mathias Cormann, Secretary General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development14.15 - 14.35 hrs Presentation of key insights from the joint study
Authors of the new EPO-OECD study offer an overview of patenting trends in quantum innovation. They also present the new quantum technologies platform and the Deep Tech Finder, with its new quantum filter. Further highlights include a landscaping of quantum companies, a summary of quantum startup investment trends and an overview of international quantum policy.
Pere Arque Castells, Stream Leader Legal and Innovation Policy, European Patent Office
Guy Lalanne, Acting Head of Division - Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development14.35 - 15.45 hrs Scaling quantum innovation: challenges and opportunities
The roundtable will highlight strengths and challenges in scaling up quantum innovation. It will bring attention to vibrant ecosystems around the world, where universities are producing cutting-edge research and startups striving to bring these advances to market. At the same time, it will address the difficulties of translating science into industry at scale, including disparities in access to late-stage private equity and venture capital across regions. The discussion will also underscore how major technology corporations, particularly in the US, are already well positioned in quantum and can deploy innovations directly to the market without the need to scale up. By contrast, other regions such as Europe and Canada will see their success in quantum depend on creating the right conditions for startups to grow and compete globally. This important topic will be discussed by panellists representing policymakers, startups and investors.
Moderator: Axel Ferrazzini, Managing Director, 4iP Council
Alexandra Paul, Global Public Policy Lead, Pasqal
Samira Nik, Programme Manager for Quantum Tech and Electronics, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
Pierre Jaeger, Quantum Strategic Partnership Europe & Quantum Leader France, IBM Quantum
Tomohiro Taniguchi, Deputy Director, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan
Ylan Tran, Investor, Quantonation15.45 – 15.50 hrs Closing remarks 15.50 hrs Get together for onsite participants
Referent/innen und Podiumsteilnehmer/innen
Moderator: Axel Ferrazzini
Axel Ferrazzini initially trained as an engineer in computer science, complemented by an EMBA, and then specialised in deep-tech technology strategy consulting. Axel has been an elected member of the ETSI Board since 2014, of the Global Intellectual Property Alliance Board since 2022 and is ranked in the IAM Strategy 300.
Axel leads 4iP Council, a research organisation that promotes the role of intellectual property in European innovation. He heads the quantum technologies program of a leading French engineering school.
Pere Arque-Castells
Stream Lead Legal and Innovation Policies, EPO's Observatory on Patents and Technology
Pere Arque-Castells is an economist specialised in innovation with an extensive academic background, having served as an assistant professor in the Innovation Management and Strategy department at the University of Groningen, as a research associate at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law and as a a postdoctoral researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Pere holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Economics from the Universitat de Barcelona. His research on innovation economics has been featured in numerous peer-reviewed journals.
Guy Lalanne
Acting Head of Division - Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Before joining the OECD in 2019, Guy held several positions in the French Treasury, notably as Secretary General of the macroprudential authority and Head of the Industrial Policy, R&D and Innovation Division, and in the French National Statistical Institute. Guy holds a PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics and degrees from ENSAE Paris and École Polytechnique.
Pierre Jaeger
Quantum Strategic Partnership Europe & Quantum Leader France, IBM Quantum
Pierre is a Technical Director at IBM, in charge of strategic partnerships for IBM Quantum, mainly in Europe. He has more than 18 years of experience and began his career at the CEA in scientific computing and parallel codes, then at CSSI on the CEA's scientific platforms. He then joined IBM Technology Services in 2006 to take on a role as IT Specialist for SNECMA, then IT Architect. His career then led him to IBM Systems, where he held the position of technical leader for Crédit Agricole. He then took over the management of the technical architects of IBM Systems France, before taking up the position of Technical Director of the IBM Systems France entity. Since June 2021, Pierre has been actively working on the development of IBM Quantum's strategic partnerships, particularly in the areas of government, finance and chemicals.
Pierre graduated from Polytech Sorbonne in 2005, specializing in Mathematics and Computer Science.
Tomohiro Taniguchi
Deputy Director, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan
Tomohiro joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) from August 2025 and is working in quantum industries office.
Before that, Tomohiro worked in National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan as a team leader of research center for emerging computing technologies in Japan. Tomohiro holds a Master of Physics from Tohoku University and a PhD in Engineering from University of Tsukuba.
Samira Nik
Programme Manager for Quantum Tech and Electronics, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
Samira holds a PhD in Materials Science from the Applied Physics Department at Chalmers University of Technology. She began her career as an R&D project manager at a semiconductor foundry in Sweden before joining IMEC as part of the cleanroom management team. She later transitioned from technical work to policy, serving as Project Manager for Innovation at CEN-CENELEC. Since April 2022, Samira has been a Programme Manager for Quantum Technologies and Electronics at the EIC, where she develops strategic visions for technological and innovation breakthroughs, proactively manages the EIC’s quantum technologies portfolio, and supports beneficiaries in shaping the European quantum ecosystem.
Alexandra Paul
Global Public Policy Lead, Pasqal
Alexandra counts with 15 years of professional experience including in the public sector, private sector and academia. She is currently Global Public Policy Lead at Pasqal, the global quantum computing leader based on neutral atoms technology. Alexandra is also the convenor of the Quantum Computing WG of CEN-CENELEC Standardization Joint-Committee JTC-22 and the official Coordinator of one of the six European Quantum Industrial Pilot lines to be launched in 2026. She previously worked as Chief Economist in the Cloud & Software Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). Prior to it, she worked at Accenture as Manager and at the College of Europe as an academic and teaching fellow. She graduated in Economics and Sociology, in European Affairs and Public Policy, from the London School of Economics, the College of Europe and Sciences Po Paris.
Ylan Tran, Investor
Quantonation
Ylan is an investor at Quantonation, a pioneering early-stage venture fund focused on quantum technologies. Previously, she helped catalyze Europe’s quantum ecosystem as Director of Les Maisons du Quantique at Station F with Le Lab Quantique. She then moved to North America to join leading startups including Quandela in Montréal and Alice&Bob in Boston, supporting their international expansion before joining Quantonation, where she now contributes to funding efforts and invests in quantum companies worldwide.