Insider Brief
- Norway has announced a five-year investment of NOK 1.1 billion (≈ $100 million US) to accelerate national efforts in quantum technology, according to Adresseavisen.
- Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the initiative will strengthen Norway’s competitiveness and national security, describing it as a historic initiative for Norway.
- The program will be managed by the Research Council of Norway, with a formal call for applications expected in 2026.
- Image: Photo by Mikita Karasiou on Unsplash
The Norwegian government has unveiled a major quantum technology initiative, calling it a “historic initiative for Norway as a technology nation” and tying it to both national competitiveness and security.
“Today we are launching a historic initiative for Norway as a technology nation. We know that quantum technology will be of great importance for Norway’s competitiveness and national security,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) in a press release (computer translated from Norwegian), reported by Adresseavisen.
The press release also aimed to explain quantum technology in accessible terms, noting: “Technology based on quantum physics has long been in use, for example in computer chips and lasers. But we are now facing a new quantum revolution,” the Ministry of Education wrote, according to Adresseavisen.
Key potential applications include new quantum computers, next-generation communication networks, and advanced sensors. The release adds: “The expectation is that the quantum computers of the future will solve tasks that today’s computers cannot.”
Solving “impossible problems”
The initiative was unveiled Wednesday morning in Trondheim by Støre, Minister of Digitalisation and Public Administration Karianne Tung, and Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland.
“Quantum technology is not about making today’s computers a little faster – it’s about solving problems that today are impossible,” Tung said, as reported by Adresseavisen.
Aasland emphasized the need for tighter collaboration: “We need closer collaboration between research and business in Norway, and quantum technology is an area where this is especially important,” she said, according to Adresseavisen.
Over NOK 1 Billion
The financial commitment includes a new allocation of NOK 750 million (roughly USD 70 million) plus an ongoing annual investment of NOK 70 million (≈ USD 6.5 million per year). Together, these amount to NOK 1.1 billion over five years, equating to approximately $100 million US in total funding.
“The goal is to mobilize large ‘locomotive companies’ that have the capacity to build and lead an industrially anchored technology community for commercially oriented quantum technology,” the government stated, according to Adresseavisen.
The Research Council of Norway will develop program details and is expected to issue the formal call for applications in 2026.
By coordinating research and industrial efforts with substantial funding, Norway aims to position itself in a global quantum technology race — targeting breakthroughs that move far beyond incremental improvements.
