The must-attend events for understanding the rise of quantum technology in 2026

Quantum technology is no longer a theoretical prospect confined to laboratories. Companies such as PASQAL, QUOBLY and ALICE & BOB in France, alongside IBM, Google and IonQ in the United States, are now shaping an ecosystem where fundamental research, venture capital and industrial strategies converge.

While it has yet to deliver a breakthrough comparable to artificial intelligence, quantum technology is gradually emerging as a future critical infrastructure at the intersection of computing, cybersecurity, energy and defence. Europe is attempting to build a coherent industry, while the United States is accelerating through its technology giants and federal programmes, and China is pursuing a more integrated approach combining research, industry and state power.

Against this backdrop, specialist events play a distinctive role. They do more than showcase advances; they reveal the fault lines of a market that remains unstable, caught between science, capital and sovereignty.

These are the events to follow in 2026 to understand, beyond the rhetoric, the true state of the global quantum race.

Hello Tomorrow Global Summit: from the laboratory to capital

Amsterdam, Netherlands | 11–12 June 2026

First in Paris and now in Amsterdam, Hello Tomorrow has established itself as Europe’s leading deeptech meeting point. The event stands out for its ability to bring together communities that have traditionally had little interaction: researchers, entrepreneurs, industrial groups and investors.

Quantum technology is addressed without excessive hype. It is presented neither as an immediate revolution nor as a scientific curiosity. Instead, it appears for what it is in 2026: a technology in transition, still uncertain but already sufficiently structured to attract capital and talent.

What matters here is not so much the maturity of the technologies themselves as their ability to cross a decisive threshold: the transition from laboratory research to startup. How many quantum projects are genuinely emerging? At what level of maturity? With which business models? These indicators help distinguish credible trajectories from speculative narratives.

Focus

• Science → startup → funding
• Maturity of quantum projects
• Investor appeal

Key speakers

Xavier Duportet, CEO, Hello Tomorrow; Georges-Olivier Reymond, CEO, PASQAL; Ilana Wisby, CEO, Oxford Quantum Circuits; Jean-François Bobier, Partner & Director, Boston Consulting Group; Olivier Ezratty, DECODE QUANTUM; Robert Sutor, former VP Quantum, IBM.

France Quantum: building a European industry

Paris, France | 16 June 2026

Co-founded by Fanny Bouton and Damien Gromier and held at Station F, France Quantum is the main meeting point for the French ecosystem. The event brings together public research laboratories, deeptech startups, industrial groups and government representatives around an explicit objective: turning scientific excellence into industrial capability.

France’s distinctive approach lies in the close relationship between academic research and public policy. While other markets leave more room for private capital, France is attempting to build a complete industry spanning hardware, applications, training and infrastructure.

France Quantum therefore provides a way to assess a discreet but strategic shift: the move from an investment policy to a logic of execution. Who is signing industrial partnerships? Who is genuinely emerging from the laboratory? Who is developing technological components that could become commercially viable in the medium term? These may be weak signals, but they are decisive ones.

Focus

• Building a sovereign industry
• Research → industry
• Public-private coordination

Key speakers

Georges-Olivier Reymond, CEO, PASQAL; Niccolo Somaschi, CEO, QUANDELA; Théau Peronnin, CEO, ALICE & BOB; Olivier Ezratty, DECODE QUANTUM; Elie Girard, former CEO, ATOS; Valérie Pécresse, President of the Île-de-France Region.

IQT Nordics: applying quantum technology to industry

Oslo, Norway | 22–24 June 2026

In Oslo, IQT Nordics offers a different perspective on quantum technology. Less focused on grand narratives, the event places greater emphasis on practical applications: quantum sensors, secure communications and integration into industrial systems.

The Nordic countries are pursuing a pragmatic strategy. Rather than waiting for a breakthrough in universal quantum computing, they are developing targeted use cases that may attract less attention but are considerably closer to market.

The event highlights a key phenomenon: the fragmentation of the quantum sector into several industrial verticals, some of which, particularly sensing, could reach maturity well before general-purpose quantum computers.

It also provides another opportunity to hear from one of France’s leading experts and advocates in the field, Olivier Ezratty.

Focus

• Quantum sensors
• Industrial applications
• Secure communications

Key speakers

Olivier Ezratty, DECODE QUANTUM; Jan Goetz, CEO, IQM Quantum Computers; Stephanie Simmons, founder, Photonic Inc.; Mikael Björk, Professor, KTH Royal Institute of Technology; Anders Indset, author and investor; representative of Nordic Innovation.

Commercialising Quantum Global: confronting market realities

London, United Kingdom | 16–17 June 2026

In London, Commercialising Quantum Global stands out for its deliberately pragmatic approach. The event does not seek to demonstrate the potential of quantum technology, but to test its economic viability.

Discussions focus less on machine performance than on integration into real-world environments: businesses, supply chains, financial systems and critical infrastructure. This confrontation with practical reality is essential. It exposes current limitations while revealing the conditions required for gradual adoption.

In an ecosystem still characterised by uncertainty, the event acts as a filter, distinguishing technological promises from credible industrial trajectories.

Focus

• Enterprise adoption
• ROI and time to market
• AI and HPC integration

Key speakers

Ilyas Khan, Chairman, Quantinuum; Jeannette Garcia, Senior Research Manager, IBM; Michael Cuthbert, Director, NQCC; John Levy, CEO, SEEQC; representative, Head of Innovation, HSBC; representative, Head of Research, Airbus.

IEEE Quantum Week (QCE): measuring the true level of maturity

Toronto, Canada | 13–18 September 2026

IEEE Quantum Week, also known as QCE, is one of the most technically demanding events in the field. It brings together researchers, engineers and industrial players to address fundamental questions surrounding architectures, error correction, quantum software and interoperability.

In a sector where spectacular announcements are frequent, QCE acts as a stabilising force. It provides a way to assess what genuinely works and what remains out of reach. The number of usable qubits, error rates and scalability are among the parameters that determine the credibility of individual players.

For decision-makers, the event offers a valuable perspective: not what quantum technology promises, but what it can realistically deliver in the short and medium term.

Focus

• Architectures
• Error correction
• Scalability

Key speakers

John Preskill, Professor, Caltech; Michelle Simmons, CEO, Silicon Quantum Computing; Jerry Chow, Director, IBM; Krysta Svore, VP, Microsoft; Hartmut Neven, Director, Google; representative, Director of R&D, Intel.