Pascal Pichonnaz (ELI President; Professor, University of Fribourg) opened the webinar by warmly welcoming participants. He noted that this marked the third ELI Members’ Day, reflecting briefly on the success of its predecessors, the first of which focused on law in the Metaverse, and the second on the future of money, featuring contributions from central banks and financial regulators. Professor Pichonnaz underscored ELI’s growing impact, referencing the Institute’s 30 reports, numerous consultations, and a series of high-level events and webinars tackling urgent legal questions, including climate litigation, digital succession, and judicial independence. He closed by extending heartfelt thanks to ELI Members and institutional partners for their continued commitment to advancing legal reform across Europe.
Physicist Klaus Mølmer (Professor, Niels Bohr Institute), traced the evolution of quantum technologies from the early foundations of quantum mechanics to today’s forefront of quantum computing, sensing, and communication. Professor Mølmer provided a measured and realistic overview of the current state of the technology, acknowledging its revolutionary promise while highlighting persistent challenges, particularly in relation to error correction and scalability.
Industry perspectives were offered by Robert Harrison (Governing Board Member, European Quantum Industry Consortium; Founding Partner, Sonnenberg & Harrison) and Heike Riel (IBM Fellow; Department Head of Science & Technology, IBM Research). Harrison outlined key legal and regulatory issues facing the quantum sector, including intellectual property rights, standardisation, dual-use export controls, and the critical urgency of preparing for a post-quantum cryptographic landscape. He stressed the need for clear legal frameworks as quantum computing threatens to render existing encryption methods obsolete. Riel shared IBM’s strategic roadmap for building trust in quantum computing, emphasising responsible innovation, global cooperation, and inclusive education. She also introduced IBM’s internal ethical guidelines and its engagement in policy discussions worldwide.
The legal and ethical implications of quantum technologies were further examined by Matthias C Kettemann (Professor of Innovation, Theory and Philosophy of Law; Head, Department of Theory and Future of Law, University of Innsbruck; Director, Innsbruck Quantum Ethics Lab; Rapporteur on Quantum Ethics and ad personam member, UNESCO COMEST). Drawing on historical lessons from earlier waves of technological regulation, Professor Kettemann advocated for anticipatory governance informed by the Sustainable Development Goals. He called for global solidarity, intergenerational justice, and a concerted effort to bridge the digital divide. He proposed recognising quantum technologies as global public goods and recommended establishing inclusive international governance frameworks, akin to the Internet Governance Forum.
Christopher Docksey (Honorary Director-General, EDPS; Data Protection Authority of Guernsey; European Centre on Privacy and Cybersecurity, Maastricht University) focused on the profound data protection challenges posed by quantum technologies, particularly the risk that quantum computing could in the future decrypt today’s secure communications. He underscored the importance of accountability, privacy by design, and the adoption of binding international instruments to ensure data protection in the quantum era.
Pascal Maillot (Acting Head of Unit for Quantum Technologies, DG CONNECT, European Commission) offered a comprehensive overview of ongoing and forthcoming EU-level initiatives. While no dedicated legislation exists at present, the European Commission has long supported quantum research and is preparing to unveil a European Quantum Strategy, to be followed by a legislative Quantum Act in 2026. Maillot highlighted efforts to build a strong European quantum ecosystem through strategic investments in infrastructure, skills development, and international cooperation. He also called for enhanced coordination across EU Member States.
The panel interventions were followed by a lively and thought-provoking discussion among participants.
The recording of the webinar is available below.
