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Australia and Finland have announced a jointly funded quantum research partnership, as global technology companies including Nvidia, IBM and Microsoft deepen their investment in quantum technologies.
The cross-border collaboration, announced at the Quantum Australia Conference in Adelaide, will bring together the CSIRO, Finland’s national research and technology organisation VTT and Finnish universities to accelerate quantum research, capability development and commercialisation.
The partnership was confirmed during a keynote by Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio, after delegations from both countries first connected at the 2024 Quantum Australia Conference.
A conference drawing global interest
The two-day conference, run by national quantum growth body Quantum Australia, brought together roughly 900 investors, policymakers and industry leaders spanning financial services, mining, health and life sciences, defence, transportation, energy and advanced manufacturing.
Australia’s quantum ecosystem now comprises more than 40 quantum-focused companies, a broader pipeline of adjacent and enabling businesses, 26 dedicated research organisations and what Quantum Australia describes as the world’s fifth-largest quantum workforce – despite the country representing just 0.3 per cent of the global population.
Petra Andren, CEO of Quantum Australia, framed the partnership as part of a broader strategic imperative.
“Australia has built a globally recognised quantum capability, but the next phase will be determined by where and how these technologies are deployed at scale,” Andren stated.
“Countries that align research, industry demand and government policy will capture the greatest share of economic value. Partnerships like this are critical to ensuring Australia remains part of the global systems where quantum is deployed, commercialised and scaled.”
Finland positions itself as a partner
Minister Tavio outlined Finland’s ambitions in the quantum space and its interest in deepening ties with Australia.
“Finland is known for having one of the most dynamic quantum ecosystems globally, and for its pioneering work on hybrid quantum-supercomputing systems,” Tavio told the conference.
“Nations that lead in quantum development shape the markets, standards and ethical frameworks of digital infrastructure. And Finland wants to be Australia’s trusted partner in the journey.”
The announcement comes as other major economies including the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union pair research investment with coordinated industry programs designed to accelerate deployment and capture downstream economic value.
Quantum as a complement to AI
Industry discussions at the conference highlighted applications where quantum technologies are closest to real-world deployment. These include quantum-safe security for government and critical infrastructure, precision sensing and timing for mining and energy, and optimisation use cases in logistics, energy systems and finance.
Speakers positioned quantum not as a rival to AI but as a technology that complements it, particularly for certain classes of complex optimisation, modelling and infrastructure challenges.
Katie Scott, Senior Technology Leader at Microsoft, made the case for convergence between the two fields.
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“AI and quantum are not competing – they are complementary,” Scott explained. “The real breakthrough will come from combining quantum with AI and high-performance computing to unlock advances in areas like materials, energy and complex optimisation at unprecedented scale.”
Decades of research, now facing a commercialisation test
Dr Cathy Foley, Australia’s 9th Chief Scientist, used a fireside chat at the conference to reflect on the country’s quantum trajectory and the challenge ahead.
“What we’ve seen, especially in the university sector since about 2000, is sustained investment in quantum research at the fundamental level, and that has created one of the strongest pipelines of skills and talent anywhere in the world,” Foley observed.
“If you look at many of the big companies globally, you will find Australians leading the way, which shows the depth of capability we have built over decades.”
But Foley was candid about Australia’s historical difficulty in converting research strength into commercial outcomes.
“Australia has not got a good track record in turning fantastic research into something of broader benefit, but quantum is a hidden miracle story where decades of investment have put us in a position to build an industry,” she acknowledged.
“You don’t just get an industry. You have to want it, and what we’ve seen is the quantum community come together, back itself and build that ecosystem from the ground up.”
Foley pointed to the pace of growth in recent years. “In the five years since 2020, Australia has gone from having a handful of quantum businesses to more than 50, which is something we should be incredibly proud of.”
Government backing and the road ahead
Foley also stressed the role of government at both federal and state levels in elevating quantum as a national priority.
“That support from government, not just at the Commonwealth level but also from state governments, has been critical in turning quantum into a strategic priority for the country,” she noted.
She called for the continuation of Quantum Australia’s coordinating role, including the organisation becoming incorporated so it can sign memoranda of understanding with other countries directly.
“I’d also like to see that Quantum Australia will have a pathway for keeping on, because the role it’s played has been really important,” Foley added. “We can’t do it all ourselves.”
The shift from laboratory research to commercial application is already underway, according to Foley.
“We are now seeing a real shift where researchers are thinking about how to commercialise their work, and that change is transforming how science contributes to the economy,” she remarked.
“Small improvements can make a massive impact in industries like financial services, because even a fraction of a per cent improvement can translate into significant economic value.”
Coordination as the next challenge
Quantum Australia’s Andren argued the organisation’s role in connecting the ecosystem would be central to capturing value from quantum investment.
“To support system-level reform, Quantum Australia provides the coordination and delivery capability needed to unlock greater impact from existing investment, connecting actors across the ecosystem and translating capability into real-world outcomes,” Andren explained.
Across multiple markets, early-stage quantum technologies are beginning to be tested in pilot environments to explore improvements in productivity and efficiency across critical sectors.
With national economic security increasingly tied to technological capability, the pressure to translate research into industrial adoption – and to coordinate effort across research, industry and government – is only set to grow.
The Quantum Australia Conference 2026 was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Last Updated on May 1, 2026 by Nick Ross
