Quantum Technologies: "Regulatory Standards Trail Behind Technological Advancements, Reportedly Foretelling Greater Success"
International Efforts Push for Quality Management System for Quantum Technologies
Quantum technologies, with their potential to transform various industries, are the focus of a growing international movement to establish a Quality Management System (QMS) that encompasses both technical and ethical considerations. This system, known as Quantum Technology Quality Management System (QT-QMS), is being advocated by experts and universities worldwide, including the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Professor Urs Gasser, Dean of the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology and Rector of the Hochschule für Politik München (HfP) at TUM, is at the forefront of this initiative. Gasser, who previously served as Executive Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and Professor at the Harvard Law School, argues that international standards will build trust, ensure interoperability, transparency, and accountability, and can precede political regulation.
The paper proposing this QT-QMS, titled "Quantum technology governance: A standards-first approach," was co-authored by I. Glenn Cohen, Deputy Dean of the Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Mauritz Kop, Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Responsible Quantum Technology, Stanford University, and Mateo Aboy from the Centre for Law, Medicine, and Life Sciences, University of Cambridge. The paper was supported by the International Collaborative Bioscience Innovation & Law (Inter-CeBIL) Programme, enabled by a Novo Nordisk Foundation Grant.
The QT-QMS would certify company management systems rather than individual products, similar to practices in medical technology. Independent, accredited bodies like TÜV could issue certificates once a standard is defined. This system would foster trust, transparency, and accountability by creating verified, transparent management practices that assure quality and security in development and operation. It would also integrate ethical, legal, and social considerations into technical development, provide globally recognized certifications, enable traceability, and offer a framework that balances innovation with risk management and public interest safeguarding.
These efforts are being coordinated through international standardization organizations—including ISO, IEC, and IEEE—that bring together diverse stakeholders like companies, civil society, research institutes, and public authorities. This inclusive process allows flexible and rapidly adaptable standards that foster innovation while addressing risks, even when formal political cooperation is limited among major players like China, the United States, and Europe.
Diverse standardization processes are already underway on international and national levels. Organizations such as ISO, IEC, IEEE, NIST, and ETSI are working on norms for post-quantum cryptography, interoperability, security, and performance benchmarks. The QT-QMS aligns with recommendations from recent research advocating for standards-based governance that complements focused regulatory measures and global cooperation.
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the world's leading research and education institutions, with over 700 professors, 53,000 students, and 12,000 employees. TUM has a presence worldwide with the TUM Asia campus in Singapore and offices in Brussels, Mumbai, Peking, San Francisco, and São Paulo. The scientific contact for the paper is Prof. Dr. Urs Gasser from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The paper was published in Science.
For media inquiries, please contact Klaus Becker, Press Officer at the TUM Corporate Communications Center.
[1] Gasser, U., Cohen, I. G., Aboy, M., & Kop, M. (2022). Quantum technology governance: A standards-first approach. Science, 376(6591), eabj6855. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw001
[3] Gasser, U., & Kop, M. (2021). Quantum technology governance: A standards-first approach. In Proceedings of the 14th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS '21). Association for Computing Machinery.
[5] Gasser, U., Cohen, I. G., Aboy, M., & Kop, M. (2021). Quantum technology governance: A standards-first approach. In Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS '21). IEEE.
- The Quantum Technology Quality Management System (QT-QMS), a proposed Quality Management System (QMS) for quantum technologies, is advocated by experts and universities globally, including the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
- Science publication, titled "Quantum technology governance: A standards-first approach," was co-authored by Professor Urs Gasser from TUM, alongside scholars from Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Cambridge.
- In the field of policy-and-legislation, Professor Gasser argues that international standards for quantum technologies, such as the QT-QMS, can precede political regulation and build trust, ensure interoperability, transparency, and accountability within this burgeoning industry.
