An Executive Series presented by the QBN Working Group International Policy & Business
Quantum technologies – from products and services to enterprise applications – are strategically relevant to national security, critical infrastructure and defence. Thus, quantum companies face significant exposure to cyber and geopolitical threats and corporate espionage from global competitors and state-sponsored actors. At the same time strict compliance with export controls is increasingly mandatory, while hyped AI narratives threaten to crowd out real deeptech capital and slow genuine development.
This 2-part Executive Series provides quantum leaders with practical playbooks to protect their intellectual property, secure their infrastructure and data, position themselves for public procurement and navigate complex global trade controls.
Who Should Attend
- Executives, Founders and C-Suite Leaders in Quantum & Deeptech
- Heads of Security, IT and IP Protection
- Chief Legal Officers, Compliance Officers and Regulatory Leads
- Government Relations and Business Development Directors
- Public Procurement Specialists and Supply Chain Integrators
Series Schedule & Sessions
Session 1: Operational Security, Screening & Public Sector Access
10 Nov 2026 | 15:00 – 16:30 CET | Online
Protecting proprietary R&D and supply chains, implementing personnel and foreign investment screening to prevent cap-table risks, and certifying quantum products for public sector and sovereign infrastructure procurement.
Session 2: Navigating Global Trade, Export Controls & US Regulation
24 Nov 2026 | 16:00 – 17:30 CET | Online
Classifying quantum components, devices, and software under EU/BAFA export control lists and navigating ITAR/EAR jurisdictional reach, US component content rules, and CFIUS investment screening.
Context on Quantum Business Resilience & Compliance
Cyber, Hybrid, Insider and Capital Risks
The emerging quantum industry is confronted with a multidimensional threat reality:
- Cyber
State-sponsored cyberespionage and digital sabotage threaten proprietary quantum breakthroughs, resulting in the instant loss of first-mover advantage and permanent devaluation if stolen R&D is cloned by global adversaries. - Personnel
Malicious IP theft, staff negligence and aggressive competitor poaching target a firm’s human capital, causing an irreversible drain of institutional knowledge that can permanently freeze product development pipelines. - Governance
Adverse foreign investment and cap-table contamination by heavily scrutinised entities trigger immediate blacklisting from public procurement, disqualification from Western venture funding and potential regulatory dissolution. - Ecosystem
Physical interdiction of bespoke components and reliance on single-source suppliers in volatile regions expose hardware to systemic operational paralysis or hidden hardware backdoors if trade corridors close. - Sovereignty
Inadvertent violations of rapidly evolving export controls (like ITAR or dual-use rules) and asset expropriation lead to crippling legal liability and revoked export licenses.
Regulatory Pressure and Global Trade Challenges
Quantum actors must withstand regulatory pressure on product security and resilience frameworks while global collaboration and resilient cross-border expansion are essential for their success.
- Product Security & Certification
The lack of standardised quantum-safe certifications for enterprise integration threatens to block market adoption, risking total exclusion from critical infrastructure supply chains if products cannot prove “plug-and-play” compliance alongside legacy components. - US Trade Controls & Market Expansion
Navigating the friction between expanding into the US market and complying with highly restrictive US export controls (such as ITAR, EAR or potential dual-use blocklists) risks crippling legal liability, restricted access to essential Western capital and severe limitations on a firm’s global commercial reach.
