The Irish government has outlined a comprehensive strategy to advance its position in the field of quantum technology, aiming to establish Ireland as an internationally competitive hub by 2030. This strategy recognizes the enormous potential of quantum technology in various sectors, from healthcare to cybersecurity, and plans to leverage Ireland’s unique strengths in this area, including its highly interconnected quantum community and the presence of major quantum technology enterprises.
The strategy is structured around four core pillars, with a fifth entangled pillar intersecting with all the others. The first pillar emphasizes supporting excellent fundamental and applied quantum research. Acknowledging Ireland’s strong track record in this area, the strategy aims to foster further advances in quantum technologies, fueling innovation and technological development. The second pillar focuses on enhancing scientific talent, which concentrates on developing a skilled workforce adept in quantum science, engineering, and technology. This pillar also prioritizes improving equality, diversity, and inclusion within the field.
Collaboration forms the essence of the third pillar, advocating for national and international partnerships to strengthen Ireland’s position in the quantum landscape. This approach is vital for a small country like Ireland, enabling it to contribute to and learn from global best practices in quantum technologies. The fourth pillar is centered on innovation and economic competitiveness. It seeks to stimulate entrepreneurship in quantum technologies, especially among indigenous small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and encourages collaborative efforts between academia and industry.
The fifth and final pillar addresses the need for broad awareness and understanding of quantum technologies and their real-world applications. This involves educating a wide range of stakeholders and ensuring that the society is quantum-literate, enabling it to harness the benefits of quantum technologies fully. This comprehensive approach, encompassing research, talent, collaboration, innovation, and societal awareness, allows Ireland to realize its vision of becoming a leading hub in the quantum technology sector by 2030.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is a staff writer at Inside Quantum Technology and the Science Communicator at JILA (a partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST). Her writing beats include deep tech, quantum computing, and AI. Her work has been featured in Scientific American, Discover Magazine, New Scientist, Ars Technica, and more.