The EU’s Quest for Digital Sovereignty: A Matter of Quantum Innovation?

The EU increasingly seeks to assert its digital sovereignty by boosting innovation and norm-setting in, among other, quantum technologies. This objective is generally reflected in numerous policy documents and crystallised in the Digital Decade Policy Programme, which sets specific targets to achieve it. The EU policy documents recognise a world-changing potential of quantum technologies whilst remaining vigilant due to their potential disruptive impact. This white paper maps the way the ambition of digital sovereignty is interwoven with the development of quantum technologies in the EU digital policy and legislation. It documents empirical work, identifying thirty policy and legal documents which were produced during the past five years and bind digital sovereignty and quantum technologies together. The aim of this white paper is to bring attention to and invite further examination of the complex interrelation between digital sovereignty and quantum innovation. In this way, the white paper wishes to spark a broader conversation on the feasibility and desirability of emerging and future tech governance approaches.