Handbook of Quantum Governance
This Project involves research for and preparation of a Handbook of Quantum Governance. It is proposed that the Handbook shall provide a comprehensive survey of the key issues in the governance of quantum information technology. The Handbook aims to introduce diverse audiences to the multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary nascent field of quantum information technology governance. The Handbook is structured according to complementary approaches drawn from technology, governance and policy contexts. It builds upon existing Quantum-ELSPI literature by systematically expanding upon key insights on the ethical, legal, social, and policy implications of quantum technology via connecting results in Quantum-ELSPI literature to those in risk theory, technical engineering and participatory models of governance. It is intended that leading scholars from across multi-disciplinary technical, socio-technical, governance and economic domains shall contribute to the Handbook. In doing so, the Handbook aims to provide a scholarly platform to engage stakeholders across the Center for RQT’s target quantum communities, providing a pragmatic resource for quantum practitioners in industry, academic, government, defence and multi-lateral institutions.
It examines the relevance of values such as fairness, accountability, and transparency in light of the specifications and developmental timeline of quantum technologies. A key aim of the Handbook is to analyse the development of a quantum regulatory ecosystem, exploring suitable frameworks and methodologies for quantum governance. Practical implementation and assessment of quantum governance are discussed, with a ground-up approach and its economic dimensions under consideration. The Handbook also focuses on the application of quantum governance principles to domestic policies across various countries, the role of international politics, and the interplay of global cooperation and conflict, contributing to a number of the Center for RQT’s objectives by doing so.
The Handbook sections include detailed discussion of technical dimensions of quantum information technology germane to governance, including the theoretical foundations of quantum mechanics, key sectors of quantum computing, cryptography, and sensing, challenges like error correction and fault tolerance and potential modes of realizing quantum information technologies. Of particular relevance to the RQT framework’s focus on innovation and engagement with early and late-stage quantum technology developers and users, it explores approaches to risk management in the quantum technology sector, including control-based risk methodologies that integrate how quantum information systems are technically controlled with governance mechanisms. This robust examination ensures that the Handbook stands as a pivotal reference for policy makers, academics, and professionals in understanding and shaping the governance of quantum technology.