Quantum Technologies and European Defence Sovereignty
How Europe is turning quantum computing, secure communications, post-quantum cryptography and sensing into a defence-industrial architecture.
Europe’s quantum agenda is no longer confined to research policy or long-term scientific ambition. It is becoming a strategic sovereignty issue that links cyber resilience, secure government communications, space infrastructure, defence R&D, dual-use export controls, industrial scale-up and public capital. The central question is whether Europe can convert its scientific base into deployable systems, trusted supply chains and companies able to support defence, critical infrastructure and sovereign communications before the end of the decade.
This report reconstructs the emerging European quantum-defence architecture across four connected layers. It first analyses the strategic and regulatory framework, including the Quantum Europe Strategy, NATO’s quantum agenda, the EU post-quantum cryptography roadmap, EDIP, EDF and dual-use controls. It then examines EuroQCI, IRIS², QKD and PQC as infrastructure for secure communications, before assessing quantum sensing, navigation, computing and defence-relevant capability pathways. The final section maps the industrial and financial architecture, including European scale-ups, national quantum strategies, public investment vehicles, defence primes, venture capital, M&A risks and the implications for institutional investors.