UN Declares 2025 as International Year of Quantum Science and Technology

The United Nations General Assembly has officially proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). This declaration aims to celebrate the profound impact of quantum science on modern technology and to ensure equitable access to quantum education and opportunities worldwide. The year-long celebration will commence with an opening ceremony on January 14th in Berlin.

A Collaborative Effort

The initiative to recognise 2025 as the IYQ has been driven by the American Physical Society and the German Physical Society (DPG) since 2021. The year 2025 was chosen to mark the centenary of Werner Heisenberg’s pioneering work in developing the mathematical framework of quantum phenomena. This effort quickly gained support from other scientific organisations, including the Institute of Physics and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

In May 2023, the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) endorsed a resolution advocating for an official UN quantum year. This was followed by an endorsement at the UNESCO general conference in November. In May, Ghana submitted a draft resolution for the official proclamation of the IYQ to the UN General Assembly. The proposal garnered support from over 70 countries and was approved by the general assembly on June 7th.

Quantum Science: Transforming Technology and Society

DPG president Klaus Richter, a renowned condensed-matter physicist from the University of Regensburg, emphasised the transformative power of quantum mechanics. “Inventions such as magnetic resonance imaging in hospitals, lasers, solar cells, and the smallest chips as the basic building blocks of computers all owe their existence to quantum mechanics,” Richter stated. “These and other quantum technologies give new impetus to our economic development and influence numerous areas of everyday life. Quantum mechanics is a prime example of the practical impact that an abstract physical theory can have.”

The IYQ will follow several other recent UN International Years focused on scientific advancements, such as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements in 2019, light and light-based technologies in 2015, and crystallography in 2014. The global celebration of quantum science in 2025 aims to inspire innovation, foster international collaboration, and promote widespread understanding of quantum technologies, ensuring that their benefits are shared universally.