NATO Releases Quantum Technologies Roadmap Following Allies’ Approval

NATO made public a summary of its new quantum technologies roadmap on Tuesday, September 29, following the formal adoption of the strategy by Allied nations on July 30, 2026. The roadmap aims to accelerate the understanding, adoption, and integration of quantum technologies across NATO and its member armed forces, while seeking to mitigate decoupling risks associated with strategic competition.

The framework follows NATO’s broader quantum strategy approved in 2023 and focuses on three primary pillars: quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum sensing. According to NATO, the initiative also examines interactions between quantum tools and other dual-use technologies, including artificial intelligence, space capabilities, and next-generation communication networks.

Implementation will be supported by the Transatlantic Quantum Community (TQC), an informal network founded in 2024 that includes experts from government, industry, academia, research institutes, and funding bodies. The group provides non-binding recommendations and has been chaired by the Netherlands with Canada as vice-chair since May 12, 2026.

The TQC recently convened in Washington on September 24–25, 2026, to discuss the effects of quantum computing advancements on secure communications, critical infrastructure, intelligence, strategic stability, and crisis decision-making. The meeting also addressed the defense and security implications of combining AI with quantum technology, alongside positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. Discussions drew on results from the "Questor 26" trial campaign conducted in September in La Spezia, Italy, by the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE).

NATO noted that Belgium and Bulgaria recently joined the TQC, expanding the group to include 24 Allied nations and six partner countries.

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