April 2025 saw a concentration of national quantum strategy launches, new funding instruments, and multilateral coordination activity. Spain approved its first National Strategy of Quantum Technologies with an estimated €808 million investment envelope, while Finland published a ten-year quantum strategy acknowledging its funding gap relative to Nordic peers. DARPA revealed an unexpectedly large cohort of 18 companies selected for Stage A of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, the U.S. government’s most structured effort to test whether an industrially useful quantum computer can be built by 2033. Japan and the United Kingdom signed a wide-ranging quantum cooperation memorandum, and Colombia launched the first dedicated quantum funding call in Latin America’s Andean region. Together, these moves mark April as the single most active month for new quantum policy commitments in 2025 so far.
Spain: First National Quantum Strategy Commits €808 Million Through 2030
What happened. Spain’s Council of Ministers approved the country’s first National Strategy of Quantum Technologies on April 15, and Ministers Diana Morant and Óscar López presented it publicly on April 24 at the OECD Global Technology Forum in Madrid. The strategy commits an estimated €808 million (~$860 million) from ERDF funds and the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, with approximately €400 million directed to industry and €125 million to quantum satellites. The government estimated total investment could approach €1.5 billion when additional public and private capital is included. Seven strategic priorities were defined, led by the creation of a Quantum Communications Hub backed by an initial €10 million. Early funding allocations went to ICFO, CSIC, UPM, and the University of Vigo, among others.
Why it matters. Spain’s strategy is among the largest new national quantum commitments in 2025, placing the country in the upper tier of European quantum investment alongside France and Germany. The heavy emphasis on quantum communications and satellite infrastructure indicates a bet on near-term deployable technology rather than a pure computing play. The choice to launch the strategy at the OECD forum, which Spain itself hosted, was a calculated signal to international partners. The €400 million industry allocation suggests Madrid is serious about building a domestic commercial ecosystem, not simply funding academic research.
What remains unclear. How the €808 million headline figure breaks down year by year, and how much represents genuinely new funding versus relabeled commitments from the Recovery Plan. The governance structure for the strategy, including which body will coordinate across the seven priorities, has not been detailed. Whether the quantum satellite allocation of €125 million will be executed through ESA, bilateral partnerships, or a national program is also unspecified.
Who should care. European quantum technology companies seeking new public procurement markets. Quantum communications firms eyeing satellite infrastructure contracts. EU institutions tracking national contributions to EuroQCI.
United States: DARPA Selects 18 Companies for Quantum Benchmarking Stage A
What happened. On April 3, DARPA announced the selection of 18 quantum computing companies for Stage A of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). The cohort included 15 newly named participants (Alice & Bob, Atom Computing, Atlantic Quantum, Diraq, HP Enterprise, IBM, IonQ, Nord Quantique, Oxford Ionics, Photonic Inc., Quantinuum, Quantum Motion, Rigetti Computing, Silicon Quantum Computing, and Xanadu), with QuEra Computing added on April 29. These firms joined Microsoft and PsiQuantum, previously selected under the pilot US2QC phase. Seven of the selected companies are based outside the United States. Stage A is a six-month sprint requiring each company to describe a plausible path to a utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2033.
Why it matters. The breadth of the selection was notable. QBI program manager Joe Altepeter publicly acknowledged that the number of companies chosen surprised him, suggesting the field has more credible contenders than DARPA initially expected. The program’s explicit framing as an effort to “separate hype from reality” makes it the most structured federal accountability mechanism applied to the quantum computing industry to date. That seven allied-nation companies were included signals a willingness to treat quantum computing development as a coalition effort, at least at the benchmarking stage. The inclusion of both hardware giants like IBM and small startups like Alice & Bob means QBI will produce the first like-for-like comparison of radically different qubit architectures under government scrutiny.
What remains unclear. The total funding envelope for QBI has not been disclosed; individual Stage A contracts have been reported as typically under $1 million, making the program’s value primarily reputational and access-based rather than financial. It is not yet known how many companies will advance to the yearlong Stage B review, or what criteria will determine the transition. The relationship between QBI assessments and broader federal procurement decisions (particularly for defense and intelligence use cases) has not been specified.
Who should care. Quantum computing companies worldwide evaluating the competitive signaling value of DARPA validation. Defense and intelligence agencies planning quantum computing procurement timelines. Investors using QBI progression as a due diligence signal.
Finland: Quantum Strategy Published, Acknowledges Funding Gap
What happened. The Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment published Finland’s Quantum Technology Strategy 2025-2035 on April 24. The strategy, prepared by a working group chaired by VTT CEO Antti Vasara, proposed eight measures including a quantum competence centre, access to world-class quantum computers, quantum-secure encryption for critical national infrastructure, and a long-term R&D program. Minister Wille Rydman stated that Finland intended to remain among key players in international quantum competition. The strategy explicitly acknowledged that cumulative national quantum funding had been limited compared to peer countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands.
Why it matters. Finland’s strategy is unusual in its candor about relative underfunding: most national quantum strategies claim leadership ambitions without acknowledging constraints. The inclusion of quantum-secure encryption for critical infrastructure as a named measure places Finland among a small number of countries (alongside France and Germany) that have built post-quantum migration into formal national strategy. The call for EU-level regulatory and standardization engagement reflects Finland’s recognition that a small country’s quantum ambitions depend heavily on shaping the broader European framework. The absence of a specific budget figure, however, is a limitation.
What remains unclear. No total funding commitment accompanied the strategy. Whether the proposed quantum competence centre will be a new institution or a coordinating function within an existing body (such as VTT or CSC) has not been specified. The timeline for implementing quantum-secure encryption in critical infrastructure was not defined.
Who should care. Nordic and EU policymakers benchmarking national quantum strategies. Quantum computing vendors (particularly IQM, headquartered in Finland) that stand to benefit from national coordination. Critical infrastructure operators in Finland preparing for post-quantum migration mandates.
Japan and United Kingdom: Quantum Cooperation Memorandum Signed
What happened. Japan’s Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Kiuchi Minoru, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on quantum science and technology with UK Minister Lord Vallance in London on April 28. The memorandum covered eight areas: research and innovation dialogue, academia and private sector interactions, education and talent exchange, security policy dialogue, standards and governance, infrastructure and test facilities, commercialization and use cases, and private funding and investment. A new Security Policy Dialogue mechanism was established to address quantum technology’s impact on national security. Japan’s Q-STAR and the UK’s UKQuantum signed a parallel industry-level MOU.
Why it matters. The scope of this memorandum is wider than most bilateral quantum agreements. The inclusion of a dedicated security policy dialogue mechanism, alongside the more typical research and talent provisions, suggests both governments view quantum technology cooperation through a dual lens of economic opportunity and strategic risk management. The parallel industry MOU between Q-STAR and UKQuantum adds an unusual private-sector coordination track that could accelerate commercial partnerships. This agreement positions the UK as a primary quantum partner for Japan in Europe, especially as the UK operates outside the EU’s quantum governance frameworks.
What remains unclear. Whether the memorandum will be backed by dedicated bilateral funding, or whether it functions primarily as a framework for aligning existing national programs. The specific areas where the Security Policy Dialogue will focus (export controls, post-quantum cryptography migration, or supply chain security) were not detailed. How this agreement interacts with Japan’s existing quantum partnerships, including its cooperation with the United States, is not specified.
Who should care. Quantum technology companies in both countries seeking cross-border partnerships. Defense and security officials in both governments. Other European and Indo-Pacific nations tracking the formation of bilateral quantum alliances.
Colombia: First National Quantum Funding Call in Andean Region
What happened. Colombia’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MinCiencias) launched ColombIA Inteligente 2025 on April 29, the country’s first national funding call covering quantum science and technologies. The program has a total budget of COP 20,000 million (~$5.2 million), with individual projects eligible for up to COP 1,500 million (~$395,000) over 18 months. The quantum axis covers quantum information processing, secure communications, quantum sensing, and sustainable energy. Separately, Minister Yesenia Olaya announced that MinCiencias and the Universidad del Valle are developing a project to build Colombia’s first domestically produced quantum computer. President Petro, in his capacity as CELAC president, proposed a Latin American university network for AI and quantum research.
Why it matters. ColombIA Inteligente is the first dedicated quantum funding mechanism in the Andean region and one of the first in Latin America, following Brazil’s more substantial investments. The requirement that applicants form alliances including a university, a national company, and three local organizations is designed to build ecosystem breadth rather than concentrate resources. The quantum computer project with Universidad del Valle is an early indicator of domestic hardware ambitions, though the technical specifications and funding have not been disclosed. President Petro’s CELAC proposal, if acted upon, could create the first multilateral Latin American quantum research structure.
What remains unclear. The technical scope and funding for the planned quantum computer. Whether the CELAC university network proposal will be taken up by other member states, given the body’s limited institutional capacity. How Colombia’s quantum investments will interact with the alliances on quantum technology transfer that Minister Olaya referenced with partners in Canada, the United States, and China.
Who should care. Latin American universities and research institutions eligible for the call. Quantum technology companies with interest in emerging markets. International development organizations tracking science capacity-building in Latin America.
OECD Hosts Quantum Governance Forum in Madrid
What happened. The OECD Global Forum on Technology (GFTech) held a quantum-focused event in Madrid on April 24, titled “Entangled Future: Collaborative Pathways Towards Responsible Quantum Technologies.” The event was hosted by Spain’s government alongside the launch of its national strategy. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann delivered welcome remarks. Sessions covered national strategies, workforce development, supply chain dependencies, digital security, export controls, and equitable access to quantum technologies for developing countries. Panelists included officials from India, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Brazil, and other countries. Breakout sessions operated under the Chatham House Rule.
Why it matters. This is the most prominent multilateral forum to date specifically addressing quantum governance as a cross-cutting policy challenge. The inclusion of sessions on export controls, supply chain dependencies, and access for developing countries indicates the OECD is positioning itself as a venue for quantum governance norm-setting, complementing (and potentially competing with) other multilateral tracks. That the event was held under Chatham House rules for breakout sessions suggests sensitive discussions took place around topics like technology transfer restrictions and dual-use controls.
What remains unclear. Whether the forum will produce formal OECD recommendations or principles on quantum governance. The degree to which developing-country representatives shaped the discussion on equitable access. Whether the OECD intends to establish a standing working group or regular convening on quantum policy.
Who should care. National quantum strategy coordinators across OECD member and partner states. International organizations working on technology governance. Quantum companies operating across jurisdictions with divergent regulatory frameworks.
Also in April 2025
South Africa’s Quantum Technology Initiative (SA QuTI) entered its second phase with ZAR 142 million (~$7.8 million) in new funding over five years, a substantial increase from the R54 million allocated in Phase 1, with the initiative’s leader emphasizing a focus on developing a quantum economy rather than competing in hardware.
Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group announced a quantum research project to develop ground-to-satellite quantum links and optical ground stations for GPS-independent secure timing, partnering with CSIRO, ANU, and the University of Western Australia.
Saudi Arabia announced plans to establish a Quantum Valley in collaboration with KACST, Aramco, and SDAIA, while awarding ten startups through the Quantum for Society Challenge at a World Quantum Day event in Riyadh attended by over 300 participants.
Greece hosted QCI Days Athens 2025, demonstrating a live 15-node quantum network across 131 km of fiber and conducting a quantum-secure video conference connecting Greece, Austria, and Spain, with over 600 participants from 30 countries attending.
Detailed analyses of each development in this briefing, with cross-jurisdictional comparisons and sector-level implications, are available to Quantum Policy Radar subscribers.