Quantum computing: can Europe win the race?

On 17 September 2025, the British firm Oxford Ionics, a global pioneer in cutting-edge quantum technology, officially came under American ownership. For $1.075 billion, IonQ acquired one of the continent’s most promising start-ups. A few months later, IonQ shelled out a further $1.8 billion to acquire an American chip foundry. This episode says it all about the race that is gathering pace. On one side, American giants with bottomless pockets, ready to snap up European talent. On the other, China, which has made quantum technology the first of its seven “industries of the future” in its 15th Five-Year Plan. In the middle, Europe, which in July 2025 published its first comprehensive quantum strategy and is drafting a “Quantum Act” intended to safeguard its digital sovereignty. The playing field is scientific, but the stakes are eminently geopolitical. Having missed out on the internet, smartphones and the cloud, can Europe avoid missing the boat this time?