Quantum, Photonics and Advanced Sensing
From Research Platforms to Strategic Infrastructure
This report examines Europe’s quantum, photonics and advanced sensing ecosystem as an emerging industrial and strategic domain rather than as a single technology market. It focuses on the companies, research organisations, public infrastructures and institutional programmes that are shaping pre-commercial capabilities in quantum computing, quantum communications, post-quantum cryptography, photonic chips, optical systems, advanced sensing, metrology and resilient navigation. The central issue is whether Europe can convert scientific depth, public funding and specialised industrial assets into deployable capabilities for secure communications, computing, positioning, navigation, timing, critical infrastructure protection and defence-adjacent applications.
The report is structured in four sections. The first defines the strategic problem and explains why these technologies now matter for European autonomy and security. The second analyses the core technology architecture, separating quantum computing, quantum communications, post-quantum cryptography, photonics and advanced sensing according to maturity, bottlenecks and operational relevance. The third examines the European institutional, regulatory and industrial system, including public programmes, standards, testbeds, research institutes and companies. The fourth assesses the strategic, industrial and financial implications for corporate, financial, regulatory and sovereign readers.