As Canada redefines its global trade relationships and economic priorities, the quantum revolution we helped bring about has reached a defining moment.
While political and economic uncertainties dominate today’s headlines, a technological revolution that will transform the global economy cannot wait. At this critical juncture, Canada holds an important advantage cultivated over a generation that can become a new engine of prosperity: we are a quantum power.
Yet, as the U.S. and other innovation leaders move rapidly to exploit the dual promises of quantum – economic power and national security – Canada risks squandering our hard-earned advantage.
The National Research Council projects that quantum technologies could create more than 209,000 Canadian jobs and add more than 3% to our GDP by 2045. Our research community and companies are pioneers in quantum computing, sensors and communications, giving Canada both the second largest number of quantum companies in the world and the third largest venture capital investment (over $1.4 billion). The quantum industry was born in Canada, and our start-ups have continued to set the pace with relentless innovation.
Across the country, distinctive regional quantum capabilities have emerged, with Quebec in the vanguard. The Montreal-Sherbrooke-Quebec triangle is asserting itself as a global hub where research, start-ups and industry collaborate. In 2022, the Quebec government designated Distriq, a quantum innovation zone in Sherbrooke, consolidating Quebec’s position in this emerging sector.
Quebec’s quantum ecosystem includes quantum technology companies, know-how in supporting technology companies and expertise in critical enabling technologies such as photonics and microelectronics.
This gives Quebec, in a national quantum landscape rich in potential, a strategic advantage in the quantum supply chain that few other jurisdictions in the world can match.
But, as advanced economies invest aggressively in quantum, Canada risks falling into a familiar trap: pioneering technological breakthroughs only to watch others reap the benefits. Despite being the first nation to recognize quantum potential and make strategic investments in research – years ahead of our competitors – we are now slowing down precisely when we should be redoubling our efforts.
The USA, China, the UK, Japan, Australia and the EU are investing billions, attracting the best quantum talent and strengthening their national industries with unwavering government support. Their governments are funding industrial R&D, procuring quantum technologies and ensuring sovereign control of these critical capabilities. Meanwhile, Canada has committed just $169 million in commercialization support for our quantum companies in its National Quantum Strategy – a fraction of what innovation leaders invest in individual companies.
This funding gap threatens our quantum advantage. Canadian quantum companies are demonstrating remarkable ingenuity, competing with global players with far greater financial resources. But Canadian creativity and innovation cannot stretch resources indefinitely.
Our brightest minds and most promising companies receive daily offers to relocate. They want to stay, but without adequate support at provincial and national levels, we will lose them to jurisdictions that recognize the strategic value of quantum technologies.
If we are to realize Quebec and Canada’s quantum potential and secure our place in the global quantum economy, we must do more than invent the future of the quantum industry – we must take control of it. We need to provide our world-class companies with the resources they need to compete on a global scale, while strengthening our talent advantage, including the opportunity to host the world’s best talent, making Canada the obvious choice for quantum professionals looking to build their careers and grow their companies.
Another critical step is modernizing Canada’s cybersecurity, as our financial systems, critical infrastructure and national security rely on encryption that quantum computers will eventually break. Adversaries are already harvesting encrypted data today to decrypt it later – we can’t afford to wait.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC), available now, is based on new algorithms that are resistant to attacks by future quantum computers. In parallel, quantum cryptography, such as quantum key distribution (QKD), exploits the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics to guarantee tamper-proof communication, by detecting any attempt at interception.
The USA and Australia have set firm deadlines for the transition to these quantum-secure systems. Canada must do the same to protect its digital sovereignty and ensure the resilience of its infrastructures in the face of this technological revolution.
Leading economies recognize quantum as the cornerstone of future prosperity and power. Canada must do the same, treating it as a strategic industry vital to economic competitiveness and national security.
As Canada redefines its global trade relationships and economic priorities, the quantum era we helped usher in has reached a defining moment. With Quebec’s world-class capabilities complementing those of other regions of the country, Canada has a unique opportunity in this transformative field. The question is whether we will take the lead, or remain trapped in the pattern of pioneering without prospering. The world won’t wait for us.
SOURCE : La Presse (in French)
