Italy Takes Centre Stage in the Quantum Technology Revolution with the Launch of the Italian Quantum Alliance

Italy as a key player in the quantum revolution. This is the vision behind the creation of the Italian Quantum Alliance (AQI), a national initiative that brings together universities and research institutes, industries, and public institutions with the aim of building a unified and coordinated ecosystem, capable of competing internationally and promoting Italian excellence in the field of quantum technologies.

The Alliance aligns with the newly launched Italian Strategy for Quantum Science and Technologies and currently includes eight partners: University of Bologna, CINECA, INRIM – National Institute of Metrological Research, University of Padua, INAF – National Institute for Astrophysics, INFN – National Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Pavia, Polytechnic, University of Milan.

Other organisations have already expressed interest in joining the initiative, and the Association is actively welcoming new members from across all relevant institutions. The goal is to expand the Alliance and build a shared voice to shape the quantum ecosystem of the future.

"Italy boasts a very dynamic and high-quality research environment in the field of quantum science and technologies," says Elisa Ercolessi, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” at the University of Bologna and president of the AQI. "The University of Bologna, together with the other seven founding partners of the Italian Quantum Alliance, plays a leading role in this landscape." "In recent years, the University of Bologna has been highly active in promoting joint agreements and collaborative projects with local, national, and European institutions in this field.  All of this work has now taken shape in the form of the Alliance, which aims to integrate public and private actors to ensure that the entire Italian ecosystem is competitive on a global scale."

Quantum science is a cutting-edge and rapidly evolving field, with the potential to generate strategic new technologies that could transform industry and the economy, education, and social development. These include innovations such as quantum computers, secure quantum communications, precision quantum sensors, quantum networks, and applications involving quantum-based artificial intelligence.

From this perspective, the Italian Quantum Alliance was created to promote national excellence in quantum technologies by bringing together the academic, scientific, industrial, and institutional worlds under a single strategic vision. The goal is to avoid fragmentation of resources, overcome operational inefficiencies, and ensure that Italy can contribute as a leading player to the development of the world’s most advanced quantum technologies.

Launched just days after the announcement of the new European Strategy and the first-ever Italian Strategy for Quantum Science and Technologies, the Italian Quantum Alliance is positioning itself as a central actor in this landscape. It is an open initiative, inviting contributions from all universities, research centres, and private-sector stakeholders who, through their expertise and excellence, want to contribute to the Italian quantum ecosystem in an integrated way — fostering strategic synergies to support project development, skills training, and the promotion of technology transfer.