A group of quantum scientists recently published a manifesto warning about the growing militarisation of quantum research, drawing parallels with the nuclear age and cautioning that universities risk becoming extensions of national security establishments.
The statement did not dominate global headlines, yet it highlighted a deeper structural problem now emerging: quantum science is shifting from laboratory curiosity to the core of economic power, defence strategy, and geopolitical competition.
The critical question today is not whether quantum technologies will serve military ends, but whether governance structures evolve fast enough to ensure that this transformation does not harden into a new global divide rooted in algorithmic advantage and technological exclusion.
