Sweden’s quantum technology strategy sets out a national framework for research, skills, industry, security and international cooperation in a field the government increasingly considers important for both economic competitiveness and national security. Presented on 18 August, the strategy establishes objectives running to 2036, with a particular focus on turning Sweden’s strong academic research into technologies that can be developed and used by companies.
The Swedish government identifies possible applications ranging from healthcare and energy to navigation, cybersecurity and defence. Rather than creating a single new programme, the strategy is intended to coordinate existing and future initiatives across universities, public authorities and industry.
Sweden’s quantum strategy focuses on five areas
The national strategy sets five objectives for Swedish quantum policy until 2036: stronger research and industrial leadership, a more competitive skills base, closer coordination across the quantum ecosystem, protection of strategically sensitive technologies and greater participation in international cooperation.
One of the central problems identified by the government is the gap between academic research and commercial applications. Sweden has research environments with high international scientific impact, particularly in quantum computing, but the overall volume of research remains lower than in several comparable countries.
The government therefore wants universities, research institutes, companies and public authorities to cooperate across the full innovation chain, from fundamental research to applied research, technological development and commercialisation.
Sweden already has significant assets in this field. The Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology (WACQT) at Chalmers University of Technology is developing a Swedish quantum computer, while research facilities such as MAX IV and the European Spallation Source (ESS) can support the materials research needed for future quantum technologies. In June, six Swedish universities also joined a new Swedish Centre for Quantum Technology, intended to bring research, innovation and education into a more coordinated national structure.
The strategy also calls for more test facilities, greater access to research infrastructure and more private investment in quantum companies. The government notes that research-intensive deep-tech companies can struggle to obtain the large amounts of capital required during the long period between laboratory research and commercially viable products.
The strategy itself, however, does not announce a new dedicated funding package. It builds partly on measures already included in Sweden’s 2025-2028 research and innovation policy, including the creation of strategic research areas and excellence clusters for breakthrough technologies.
What quantum technology actually means
Quantum technology uses properties of matter at the scale of atoms, electrons and photons that behave differently from objects encountered in everyday life. One of the best-known concepts is superposition, which allows a quantum system to exist in several possible states simultaneously until it interacts with its environment or is measured.
The field is usually divided into four main areas. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, to perform certain types of calculations in fundamentally different ways from conventional computers. Quantum simulators can reproduce the behaviour of molecules, materials and chemical reactions. Quantum sensors exploit extremely sensitive quantum states to make measurements that could improve medical imaging or allow navigation without satellite signals. Quantum communication uses quantum properties to transmit information and cryptographic keys with new forms of security.
The technologies are at very different stages of development. Quantum sensors are closer to widespread commercial use, while useful large-scale quantum computers remain a major scientific and engineering challenge. They are not expected simply to replace conventional computers, but could eventually outperform them on particular problems involving areas such as materials, chemistry, logistics and optimisation.
The economic stakes could nevertheless be substantial. The European Commission estimates that the global quantum sector could exceed €155 billion by 2040, while creating thousands of highly skilled jobs in the European Union.
For Sweden, the opportunity therefore depends not only on scientific excellence, but on whether research can be converted into products, companies and industrial capabilities. The government identifies particular strengths in quantum computing, alongside expertise in sensors, communications and high-performance computing, as well as an industrial base in sectors such as telecommunications, defence, automotive technology, life sciences and space that could become users of quantum applications.
Quantum computing is also becoming a security issue
The strategy treats quantum technology as more than an industrial policy question. Future quantum computers could eventually become powerful enough to break some encryption systems currently used to protect digital communications.
This creates a security problem even before such computers exist. Encrypted information can theoretically be collected today and stored until sufficiently advanced computers become available to decrypt it. Sweden therefore wants public institutions and companies to develop expertise in post-quantum cryptography, replacing vulnerable algorithms with methods designed to resist attacks from both conventional and quantum computers.
The approach reflects a wider European shift. In 2025, EU countries agreed on a coordinated roadmap for the transition to post-quantum cryptography, with Member States expected to begin the transition by the end of 2026 and critical infrastructure to move as quickly as possible, with 2030 as the latest target.
Sweden’s strategy also links quantum research to export controls, investment screening and research security. The government argues that maintaining international scientific cooperation will increasingly require protecting sensitive knowledge from industrial espionage, unwanted technology transfers and other security risks.
Europe already has its own quantum strategy
Sweden’s initiative fits into a broader European effort rather than filling the absence of an EU strategy. The European Commission adopted the Quantum Europe Strategy in July 2025, with the objective of making Europe a global leader in quantum technology by 2030.
The European strategy addresses research and innovation, infrastructure, industrial development, space and dual-use applications and skills. It builds on programmes including the €1 billion Quantum Technologies Flagship, European supercomputing infrastructure and EuroQCI, which is developing a secure quantum communication network across the EU.
A European Quantum Act is also being prepared. The Commission says the legislation is intended to strengthen research and innovation, expand European industrial production and improve the resilience of quantum supply chains. As of August 2026, the proposal remains forthcoming.
For a relatively small research system such as Sweden’s, this European dimension is particularly important. Advanced laboratories, manufacturing capacity, specialised researchers and investment are difficult to sustain entirely at national level. The Swedish strategy consequently calls for stronger cooperation not only within the EU but also across the Nordic and Baltic countries.
A Nordic working group on quantum technology was established within the Nordic Council of Ministers in May 2026, and Sweden argues that the Nordic countries could collectively become a more significant international player. The national strategy therefore places Sweden’s ambitions within a wider network of European, Nordic and transatlantic cooperation.
The challenge over the next decade will be whether Sweden can convert its existing scientific position into industrial capacity. The strategy provides a common direction until 2036, but its impact will depend on subsequent investment, access to specialised talent and infrastructure, and the ability of Swedish companies and research institutions to operate at a European scale.
