International Year of Quantum Science and Technology

International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025

International Year of Quantum logo
Date	1 January – 31 December 2025 (2025-01-01 – 2025-12-31)
Type	Exhibitions
Website	quantum2025.org

The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) is a United Nations observance that aims to highlight the contributions of quantum science and practical applications of quantum technology.

History

Recognizing that 2025 would mark one hundred years of quantum mechanics, discussions about using this significant anniversary as an occasion for a global public outreach campaign to raise awareness about quantum mechanics’ history and its centrality to the physical sciences were initiated at the April 2018 Executive Committee meeting of the American Physical Society’s (APS) Forum on the History of Physics (FHP, now FHPP).

After discussions with APS Head of Public Relations and Head of Public Outreach, a meeting was convened to develop the idea further in August 2018 at APS headquarters among APS staff and representatives of multiple APS Fora, including the Forum on International Physics (FIP), the Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public (FOEP), and Forum on Graduate Student Affairs (FGSA). Various aspects of the idea, dubbed the “Quantum Century project,” were discussed, including the possibility of seeking a UN-declared International Year.  A white paper proposal, describing the outlines of a plan to “to make the year 2025 an international celebration of quantum mechanics” was then reviewed and endorsed by the APS Committee on Public Engagement.

While this proposal made its way through the APS committee structure, the FHP created a Quantum Century Working Group to discuss the details of how the Quantum Century project could be developed.  While the initial meeting of this group was four people, word quickly spread among an international network of scientists and historians enthusiastic about the idea and after several months there were over two dozen attendees, representing many institutions and societies from around the world, at what became known as the Quantum Century International Coordination Meetings.

An important document created by this International Coordination group was a list of Guiding Principles for all those helping to work on the celebration. This group and a separate Quantum Century History Working Group, an international team of quantum historians, also assisted the EU Quantum Flagship as it developed and launched its World Quantum Day initiative.  A third Quantum Century Outreach Group, composed of experts in quantum education, outreach, and media, was also formed, and helped to refine the messaging and branding that would be needed for a quantum year.

In August 2020 the Quantum Century proposal was considered by the APS Council Steering Committee, followed by consideration by the full APS Council in November 2020, which voted positively to endorse it.  In 2021, the APS leadership formally endorsed the project of pursuing a UN-recognized International Year.  In keeping with UN naming standards, the project was re-named The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ).

In August 2021 the APS and German Physical Society (DPG) formed an Executive Committee.  This Committee collaborated with APS Head of Public Engagement and Director of International Affairs Amy Flatten on the process of gaining formal recognition for the International Year.  Work then began on contacting and assembling a partnership of scientific societies, institutes, and organizations who supported and endorsed the IYQ idea.  Initial discussions on formal UN recognition were held with the Chief of Section for Basic Science, Research, Innovation and Engineering at the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In October 2021, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) endorsed IYQ; later International Union endorsements included the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAP), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), and the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST).

At the start of 2022, the branding and logo for this campaign was developed and the IYQ website launched.  During 2022, partnering societies began expressing their support for IYQ to their respective governments in order to bring a resolution endorsing IYQ to UNESCO.  In October 2022 members of the IYQ Executive Committee traveled to the UNESCO Executive Board meeting in Paris to discuss IYQ directly with delegations.  The country of Mexico agreed to be the lead sponsor of an endorsing resolution and began discussions with other delegations about co-sponsorships.  At the May 2023 UNESCO Executive Board meeting a resolution, co-sponsored by 59 countries, to “welcome and endorse the recommendation to proclaim 2025 international year of quantum science and technology . . . [and] recommend that the General Conference at its 42^nd session adopts a resolution in this regard.”  This 42^nd session of the UNESCO General Conference convened in November of that year and passed a resolution recommending “that the General Assembly of the United Nations, at its seventy-eighth or seventy-ninth session, adopt a resolution declaring 2025 the international year of quantum science and technology.”

In Fall 2023 a Founding Partnership structure overseeing the IYQ initiative was formed that came to include the APS, DPG, Optica (formerly OSA), SPIE, the Chinese Optical Society (COS), and the Institute of Physics (IOP).  In consultation with UNESCO, this Partnership formed an IYQ Steering Committee.

At the beginning of 2024, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) delegation from Ghana agreed to sponsor a resolution at the 78^th session of the UN in New York.  On April 8, 2024, this delegation hosted an informational meeting, attended by the Director of the UNESCO Liaison Office, members of the IYQ Executive Committee, APS President, and other scientific dignitaries, to present a draft IYQ resolution to other UN delegations.  Following a weeks-long period of draft revision and delegation discussion, the IYQ resolution was presented to the full General Assembly on June 7 by the Ghanaian delegation.  The resolution was adopted by the UNGA without objection (“by acclamation”) and was co-sponsored by over 70 countries representing over 5 billion people.

The UN resolution “Decides to proclaim 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology” and “recommends that the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology should be observed through activities at all levels aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of quantum science and applications.”

Organization

The IYQ 2025 has been endorsed by the American Physical Society, German Physical Society, and UNESCO. Microsoft is a leading partner of IYQ and marking the Year of Quantum with a “Quantum Ready” initiative for businesses to explore quantum. AIP, IEEE, and Quantinuum are distinguished partners, and Google Quantum AI is a contributing partner.

International Year of Quantum partners include:

Leading Industry Partner

• Microsoft

Leading Philanthropic Partner

• SC Quantum Qllianse

Founding Partners

• APS
• Chinese Optical Society
• Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
• Institute of Physics
• Optica
• SPIE

Opening ceremony

The International Year of Quantum opening ceremony will be held in Paris, France in February to officially launch the year-long celebration. The event will be held February 4-5, 2025, at UNESCO Headquarters.