United Nations Says 2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology

The United Nations (UN) officially declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). The year-long worldwide celebration will highlight the impact and contribution of quantum science. A goal is to ensure that all nations have equal access to quantum education and opportunities. An opening ceremony will take place on January 14 in Berlin, with events throughout the year.

The effort was led by the American Physical Society and the German Physical Society (DPG). They chose 2025 as it is the centenary of Werner Heisenberg’s efforts to develop the mathematical formulation of quantum phenomena.

“Through this proclamation, we will bring quantum [science] education and research to young people in Africa and developing countries around the world with the hope of inspiring the next generation of scientists,” notes Riche-Mike Wellington, chief program specialist at the Ghana Commission for UNESCO and the Ghanaian representative for IYQ.

“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,” says DPG president Klaus Richter, a condensed-matter physicist from the University of Regensburg. “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.”